GIFT    OF 
JANE  ICSATHER 


UNCOLLECTED    LETTERS   OF 
ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 


UNCOLLECTED  LETTERS 

OF 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 


NOW  FIRST  BROUGHT  TOGETHER   BY 

GILBERT  A.  TRACY 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY 

IDA  M.  TARBELL 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 
HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 
ttitoetfitie  prfiM  Cambridge 
1917 


*r 

si 


COPYRIGHT,  1917,  BY  GILBERT  A.  TRACY 
ALL  RIGHTS   RESERVED 

PuWshid  Octobtr  Kin 


THIS    VOLUME    OF    LETTERS 

WRITTEN    BY 
ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 

IS    DEDICATED    TO 

FIVE    NOBLE-HEARTED    LINCOLN-ADMIRERS 

JESSE    W.    WEIK 

JUDD    STEWART 

IDA    M.    TARBELL 

CHARLES    W.    MCLELLAN 

HUGH    MCLELLAN 

IN    GRATITUDE    FOR    VALUABLE    ASSISTANCE 
RENDERED    TO    THE    COMPILER 


370110 


Preface 

THE  supreme  object  in  collecting  copies  of 
these  unpublished  and  uncollected  letters  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  is  to  make  his  published  writings 
—  speeches,  letters,  and  state  papers  —  as  com 
plete  as  possible,  in  the  belief  that  they  will 
represent  the  remarkable  character  and  exalted 
greatness  of  the  man  better  than  any  biography 
of  him  possibly  can,  and  will  form  not  only  a 
memorial  but  a  monument  to  his  greatness  and 
renown  more  enduring  than  granite  or  bronze.  It 
has  been  a  passion  with  the  compiler  of  these 
letters,  most  intense  and  profound,  to  complete  and 
consummate  the  work  of  collecting  these  valuable 
letters.  Abraham  Lincoln  in  the  qualities  of  mind 
and  heart  is  the  most  deeply  beloved  man  the 
world  has  ever  known;  and  he  stands  without  a 
peer  in  the  sphere  of  his  sublime  greatness,  as  an 
astute  politician,  sagacious  diplomat,  and  match 
less  statesman. 

No  time  or  expense  has  been  spared  in  searching 
for  these  letters  in  private  hands,  historical  so 
cieties,  autograph  catalogues,  newspaper  files,  and 
magazines;  solicitation  has  been  extended  to 
many  Lincoln  collectors  and  private  persons,  and 


via 


Preface 


none  has  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  appeal  except 
Ex-Governor  Richard  Yates,  who  has  refused  to 
give  copies  of  the  six  letters  in  his  possession  written 
by  Mr.  Lincoln  to  his  honored  father,  the  Civil  War 
governor ;  on  the  contrary,  the  compiler  has  re 
ceived  many  courtesies  and  valuable  assistance 
from  many  collectors  and  friends  of  the  enterprise. 

This  fascinating  labor  has  not  been  without  its 
compensation  and  personal  enjoyment  making  it  a 
holiday  pastime,  and  augmenting  the  circle  of  my 
friends  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  and  delight  to  know; 
and  I  here  acknowledge  my  personal  indebtedness 
to  many  private  citizens;  and  especially  to  Miss 
Caroline  M.  Mcllvaine,  the  efficient  secretary  and 
librarian  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society;  to  Mr. 
Charles  W.  McLellan  and  his  son,  Hugh  McLellan, 
famous  Lincoln  collectors ;  to  the  noble-hearted  bi 
ographer  of  Lincoln,  Jesse  W.  Weik,  Esq. ;  and  not 
the  least  though  the  last,  to  the  prince  of  Lincoln 
collectors,  Mr.  Judd  Stewart,  to  whom  I  owe  more 
than  I  am  able  to  express  in  words  of  gratitude. 
To  all  these  friends  I  extend  my  warmest  appreci 
ation  and  heartiest  thanks. 

The  compiler  hopes  that  some  enterprising  pub 
lisher,  at  no  distant  day,  will  deem  it  for  his 
interest  and  that  of  the  reading  public  to  take  the 
Gettysburg  Edition  of  the  Complete  Works  (by  far 
the  fullest  and  most  complete),  divest  it  of  all 
pictorial  embellishment  and  extraneous  matter,  — 


Preface 


IX 


eulogies,  addresses,  etc.,  —  and  give  to  future  gen 
erations  an  authorized,  standard  edition  of  Lin 
coln's  Complete  Works,  with  the  latest  addition  of 
discovered  letters,  in  handsome  typography  for  all 
coming  time. 

GILBERT  A.  TRACY 
PUTNAM,  CONN., 
June,  1917 


Editor's  Note 

THE  editor  of  this  volume  has  had  little  to  do 
but  arrange  the  letters  in  chronological  order 
and  supply  the  few  footnotes  that  seemed  desirable. 
No  attempt  has  been  made  in  the  notes  to  corre 
late  the  letters  with  the  known  facts  of  Lincoln's 
life  or  with  the  history  of  the  times.  The  aim  has 
been  only  to  identify  so  far  as  possible  the  less 
well-known  persons  addressed  or  mentioned  and 
to  give  some  information  as  to  the  present  owner 
ship  of  the  letters  and,  when  they  have  been  pre 
viously  published,  the  place  of  publication.  Read 
ers  familiar  with  the  ways  of  collectors  know  how 
constantly  Lincoln  autographs  are  changing  hands 
and  how  impossible  it  would  be  to  account  for  the 
whereabouts  of  a  large  number  of  these  letters. 

F.  H.  A. 


Illustrations 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN    .       »       .        Photogravure  frontispiece 

From  the  painting  by  Douglas  Volk,  N.A. 

FACSIMILE  OF  LETTER  OF  JUNE  4,  1841,  TO  COLONEL 
W.  H.  DAVIDSON 6 

FACSIMILE  OF  LETTER  OF  NOVEMBER  26,  1858,  TO 
DR.  B.  CLARKE  LUNDY 96 

FACSIMILE  OF  LETTER  OF  MAY  i,  1860,  TO  C.  M. 
ALLEN 146 

FACSIMILE  OF  NOTE  OF  MAY  28,  1862,  RECOMMEND 
ING  WARD  H.  LAMON 208 


Introduction 

ALL  that  concerns  Abraham  Lincoln  is  dear  and 
sacred;  particularly  is  this  so  of  his  written 
words.  Few  men  have  been  able  to  give  to  what 
they  set  down  more  clarity  and  more  of  personal 
flavor.  Thus  the  thing  that  is  dear  to  us  because  it 
is  his  delights  us  because  of  its  quality.  Moreover, 
nothing  that  he  wrote  is  without  importance.  How 
ever  slight,  it  may  serve  as  a  link ;  whatever  it  is, 
it  adds  something  to  our  knowledge  of  his  way  of 
thinking,  of  his  way  of  dealing  with  men,  of  the 
kind  of  activities  which  engaged  him.  Even  a  single 
new  piece  is  sure  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
large  group  that  study  his  life.  A  collection  of  new 
pieces  such  as  Mr.  Tracy  presents  in  this  volume  is 
as  valuable  as  it  is  unexpected. 

It  is  surprising  that  such  a  collection  should  be 
possible  at  this  date.  At  least  twice  before  it  has 
been  said  and  believed  by  publishers,  "Here  is 
all  he  wrote/'  Nicolay  and  Hay  entitled  their  two 
volumes  of  letters  and  speeches,  published  in  1894, 
Complete  Works.  The  editor  of  the  Gettysburg 
Edition,  published  in  1906,  claimed,  and  of  course 
believed,  that  he  was  making  a  final  edition  of 
Lincoln's  works.  The  Gettysburg  Edition  was 
a  prelude  to  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of 


xvi  Introduction 

Lincoln's  birth.  In  spite  of  all  of  the  close  and 
conscientious  collecting  that  had  been  done,  the 
anniversary  brought  from  hiding  letter  after  letter 
of  which  the  best-informed  students  had  known 
nothing.  Fortunate,  indeed,  it  is  that  there  was  a 
Lincoln-lover  with  leisure  and  inclination  at  once 
to  take  advantage  of  this  new  crop. 

Mr.  Gilbert  A.  Tracy,  who  gives  us  this  volume, 
was  admirably  fitted  for  such  a  work.  A  clerk  in  the 
War  Department  from  1863  to  1868,  he  had  watched 
Mr.  Lincoln  many  a  day  and  many  a  night  as  he 
passed  to  and  fro  between  the  White  House  and  the 
telegraph  offices  when  news  of  battle  was  coming 
in.  He  had  seen  him  about  the  streets  of  Wash 
ington,  had  heard  his  second  inaugural  and  his 
last  speech.  There  had  been  born  in  him,  as  in  so 
many  of  those  days,  an  affection  and  a  reverence 
which  time  has  only  enlarged  and  mellowed.  Mr. 
Tracy  left  Washington  to  become  a  Connecticut 
farmer,  but  hard  work  never  prevented  his  fol 
lowing  closely  everything  published  concerning 
Lincoln.  Old  age  gave  him  leisure.  When  he  re 
alized  that  the  anniversary  of  1909  was  bringing 
out  much  that  was  new  he  promptly  began  to 
gather  the  pieces.  They  multiplied  on  his  hands, 
and  he  finally  decided  that  he  would  make  it  his 
business  to  bring  together  into  a  supplementary 
volume  everything  not  to  be  found  in  one  of  the 
two  so-called  "complete  works"  of  Lincoln.  This 


Introduction  xvii 

book  is  a  contribution  of  love  to  the  memory  of 
the  most  beloved  of  Americans. 

One  might  naturally  suppose  that,  coming  at  so 
late  a  date  and  after  so  much  thorough  work  from 
those  best  placed  to  know  what  Lincoln  had  writ 
ten,  all  Mr.  Tracy  could  do  would  be  to  make  a  col 
lection  of  fragments  or  of  slight  and  temporary 
notes —  pieces  that  earlier  collectors  regarded  as 
having  no  other  value  than  that  of  the  autograph. 
This  is  wrong.  There  are  many  letters  here  of  which 
any  historian  might  be  proud  to  say,  "  I  first  pub 
lished  that."  There  is  no  period  or  activity  of  Mr. 
Lincoln's  life  that  they  do  not  illuminate.  They 
add  to  our  knowledge  of  him  as  a  man,  a  friend,  a 
lawyer,  a  politician,  and  a  statesman.  They  even 
add  two  names  to  the  index  of  his  correspondents 
and  friends. 

There  is  a  goodly  number  of  legal  letters,  several 
of  them  emphasizing  what  we  already  know,  that 
Lincoln  habitually  drove  law  and  politics  in  the 
same  yoke.  He  was  a  careful  lawyer  and  a  no  less 
careful  politician.  He  let  no  source  of  information 
escape  him.  He  gathered  and  passed  on  political 
news  and  plans  in  the  same  letters  in  which  he  re 
ported  on  cases  to  the  various  lawyers  with  whom 
he  was  associated  in  the  various  towns  on  the  old 
Eighth  Circuit.  Of  his  cleverness,  his  fairness,  and 
his  continued  zest  in  the  political  game  these 
letters  give  ample  illustration. 


xviii  Introduction 

The  collection  is  surprisingly  rich  in  letters  bear 
ing  on  the  important  period  from  1858  to  1861,  the 
years  in  which  he  competed  with  Douglas  for  the 
senatorship  and  failed,  and  in  which  he  became  a 
candidate  for  the  Presidency  and  succeeded.  There 
are  some  interesting  glimpses  of  his  own  private 
opinion  of  Douglas.  "His  tactics  just  now  in  part 
is,"  he  writes  a  friend  in  July  of  1858,  "to  make 
it  appear  that  he  is  having  a  triumphal  entry  into 
and  march  through  the  country;  but  it  is  all  as 
bombastic  and  hollow  as  Napoleon's  letters  sent 
back  from  his  campaign  in  Russia." 

As  fine  a  contribution  as  there  is  in  the  collection 
is  Lincoln's  discussion  in  the  several  letters  to 
R.  M.  Corwine,  of  Cincinnati,  of  his  (Lincoln's) 
chances  of  winning  the  nomination  to  the  Presi 
dency  at  Chicago.  They  were  written  in  April  and 
May  before  the  convention.  The  candor  of  their 
introduction  is  delightful.  "Remembering  that 
when  a  not  very  great  man  begins  to  be  mentioned 
for  a  very  great  position,  his  head  is  very  likely 
to  be  a  little  turned,  I  concluded  I  am  not  the 
fittest  person  to  answer  the  questions  you  ask." 
With  this  admission  he  proceeds  in  entire  frank 
ness  to  tell  just  what  he  thinks  of  the  chances  of  the 
various  candidates  in  Illinois,  himself  included. 

A  delightful  feature  of  the  collection  is  the  addi 
tion  it  makes  to  our  impression  of  Lincoln's  way  of 
life  and  his  relations  with  his  friends.  There  is  so 


Introduction  xix 

little  in  his  writing  about  his  marriage  and  his  wife, 
for  instance,  that  it  interests  one  to  read  in  one 
of  these  letters  written  in  1842  such  a  statement 
as  this,  "Nothing  new  here,  except  my  marrying, 
which  to  me  is  matter  of  profound  wonder";  and 
one  gets  a  new  if  slight  look  at  Mrs.  Lincoln  in  read 
ing,  in  a  letter  to  John  Marshall,  who  had  sent  him  a 
book  of  fiction,  "I  am  not  much  of  a  reader  of  this 
sort  of  literature,  but  my  wife  got  hold  of  the  vol 
ume  I  took  home,  read  it  half  through  last  night, 
and  is  greatly  interested  in  it."  Marshall  had  sent 
him  fifty  copies  of  his  book,  with  a  request  that 
he  see  what  he  could  do  about  placing  them  in  the 
Springfield  bookstore.  Mr.  Lincoln's  immediate 
attention  to  his  friend's  request,  his  full  report, 
and  his  closing  assurance  that  his  effort  had  been 
"rather  a  pleasure  than  a  trouble,"  are  quite  in  line 
with  other  evidences  in  the  letters  of  his  pleasure  - 
in  serving  people.  He  held  an  opportunity  to  do  a 
favor  as  a  privilege.  He  was  continually  considering 
how  this  or  that  would  affect  the  feelings  of  others. 
This  was  true  even  in  politics.  There  is  an  illus 
tration  of  this  in  a  letter  referring  to  Judge  Logan's 
candidacy  for  the  Supreme  Bench.  He  wanted  to  be 
sure  Logan  could  succeed  before  they  went  too  far 
ahead,  "because  it  would  hurt  his  feelings  to  be 
beaten  more  than  it  would  almost  any  one  else." 

The  value  that  he  set  on  friendship  was  very 
high.  This  comes  out  again  and  again  in  these  let- 


xx  Introduction 

ters  and  particularly  well  in  the  fresh  contribution 
here  made  to  the  history  of  the  contest  for  the 
nomination  to  Congress  in  1845.  Lincoln  believed 
that  because  of  a  compact  made  with  his  rivals  the 
nomination  belonged  to  him.  His  friend  Hardin 
was  disposed  to  take  it  if  he  could  get  it.  Lincoln 
was  ready  to  fight  for  his  own,  but  not  to  a  point 
where  friendship  would  be  broken.  He  cautions  his 
friends  that  "  it  will  be  just  all  we  can  do  to  keep 
out  of  a  quarrel " ;  nevertheless, "  let  nothing  be  said 
against  Hardin,"  he  wrote;  "nothing  deserves  to 
be  said  against  him.  Let  the  pith  of  the  whole  ar 
gument  be  'Turn  about  is  fair  play." 

There  are  a  surprising  number  of  letters  of  the 
very  first  class,  both  in  matter  and  manner.  The 
letters  in  the  Trumbull  series  are  in  this  class.  One 
letter  of  1861  marked  "very  confidential"  gives 
his  full  mind  about  the  coming  Cabinet  appoint 
ments.  A  letter  of  1857  to  his  friend  Lemen  com 
pares  the  work  of  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy  and  Lemen's 
father  and  contains  this  comment,  "Lovejoy's 
tragic  death  for  freedom  in  every  sense  marked  his 
sad  ending  as  the  most  important  single  event  that 
ever  happened  in  the  new  world."  There  is  a  let 
ter  explaining  the  "house  divided  against  itself' 
speech;  a  letter  to  Alexander  Stephens,  of  which 
Lincoln  says  at  the  end:  "This  is  the  longest  letter 
I  ever  dictated  or  wrote.  But  this  is  to  only  you 
alone,  not  to  the  public."  Another  letter  of  value 


Introduction  xxi 

is  that  to  General  Steele,  Governor  Phelps,  et.  al.y 
where,  under  date  of  November  18,  1862,  he  form 
ulates  a  plan  for  reconstruction,  and  presents  it 
in  a  most  conciliatory  spirit.  All  of  these  may  be 
counted  as  great  contributions,  important  and  in 
teresting. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  if  we  had  no  other  collection 
of  Lincoln's  letters  than  these  which  Mr.  Tracy 
has  brought  together  and  is  giving  to  the  world,  we 
should  know  Lincoln  as  a  clear,  sound  thinker, 
a  wonderful  master  of  direct  original  expression,  as 
a  man  of  kindest  feeling,  a  man  of  clever  wit,  of 
shrewd  action,  and  in  all  things  and  perhaps  above 
all  things  a  believer  in  fair  play.  Mr.  Tracy  has 
crowned  his  lifelong  devotion  to  Abraham  Lincoln 
with  a  noble  gift  to  the  people  of  the  country. 

IDA  M.  TARBELL 


UNCOLLECTED  LETTERS  OF 
ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

To  IRA  I.  FENN 

SPRINGFIELD,  Oct.  6,  1836 

iy  Sir:  By  direction  of  Judge  Lockwood,  I  send 
you  this  with  its  contents. 

Yours  &c 

A  LINCOLN 
IRA  I.  FENN  ESQ 

[On  reverse  side  of  sheet] 

Free    A.  LINCOLN  P.M. 
NEW  SALEM  ILL. 

IRA  I.  FENN  ESQR 

COLUMBIA 
PUTNAM  Co 
ILLS. 


•^g)     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  LEVI  DAVIS 

SPRINGFIELD  April  19,  1837. 
LEVI  DAVIS,  ESQ., 

Friend  Davis — The  bearer  of  this,  Dr.  A.  G. 
Henry,1  visits  you  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  a 
small  amount  of  money  to  enable  the  Commission 
ers  to  commence  the  erection  of  a  State  House.  He, 
as  you  probably  recollect,  is  one  of  the  Building 
Commissioners.  The  Bond  for  the  $50,000.  re 
quired  by  the  act  locating  the  Seat  of  Government, 
has  been  executed  by  several  of  our  Citizens  and 
duly  approved  by  the  Governor,  and  will  be  filed 
with  the  Treasurer  by  Dr.  Henry  on  his  Arrival  at 
your  Town.  The  Dr.  being  a  Stranger  to  you  and 
the  Treasurer,  and  his  duties  being  of  a  new  kind, 
he  has  asked  me  to  request  you  as  friends  to  render 
him  what  assistance  you  conveniently  can.  We 
have,  generally  in  this  Country,  Peace,  Health,  and 
Plenty,  and  no  News.  Very  respectfully, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  LEVI  DAVIS 

SPRINGFIELD,  March  15,  1838. 
LEVI  DAVIS,  ESQ., 

Vandalia,  III. 

Dear  Sir:  We  received  yours  of  the  2nd  inst.,  by 
due  course  of  mail  and  have  only  to  offer  in  excuse 
for  not  answering  it  sooner,  that  we  have  been  in 

1  An  intimate  friend  of  Lincoln  at  Springfield. 


To Dresser  3 

a  great  state  of  confusion  here  ever  since  the  re 
ceipt  of  your  letter ;  and  also,  that  your  clients  can 
not  suffer  by  the  delay.  The  suit  is  merely  insti 
tuted  to  quiet  a  title  which  has  passed  through 
Dr.  Stapp,  but  to  which  he  now  lays  no  claim  as  we 
understand  —  he  is  a  mere  nominal  party  to  the 
proceeding  —  more  than  all  this,  we  believe  noth 
ing  will  or  can  be  done  with  the  case  at  this  court. 
We  beg  your  pardon  for  our  neglect  in  this  business, 
if  it  had  been  important  to  you  or  your  client  we 
would  have  done  better.  Yours  truly, 

STUART  AND  LINCOLN. 

To DRESSER  l 

SPRINGFIELD  May  30,  1839. 

MR.  DRESSER: 

Enclosed  are  the  papers  to  commence  a  suit  for 
old  man  Summers  against  H.  Sears.  You  will  find 
one  of  Butler's  blank  summons  filled  up  by  me 
which  you  can  copy  and  it  will  be  right  in  this  case. 
It  would  do  itself  but  for  its  having  the  Sangamon 
seal  to  it.  Also  on  the  other  side  of  this  sheet  you 
will  find  a  petition  for  an  order  to  have  the  land  in 
volved  in  this  matter  conveyed  to  Sears.  It,  to 
gether  with  the  bond  (also  enclosed)  you  will  file 
and  docket  among  your  chancery  cases.  No  process 
to  issue  in  it.  Yours 

\;  A.LINCOLN. 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 


4        Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  MRS.  ORVILLE  H.  BROWNING  1 

[Probable  date:  Oct.  10  or  n,  1839.] 

To  THE  HONORABLE  MRS.  BROWNING: 

We  the  undersigned,  respectfully  represent  to 
your  Honoress,  that  we  are  in  great  need  of  your 
society  in  the  town  of  Springfield  and  therefore 
humbly  pray  that  your  Honoress  will  repair  forth 
with  to  the  seat  of  Government  bringing  in  your 
train  all  ladies  in  general  who  may  be  at  your  com 
mand  and  all  Mrs.  Browning's  sisters  in  particular 
[the  above  was  written  by  A.  L.]  and  as  faithful 
and  dutiful  petitioners  we  promise  that  if  you  grant 
this  our  request,  we  will  render  unto  your  Honoress 
due  attention  and  faithful  obedience  to  your  orders 
in  general  and  to  Miss  Brownings  in  particular. 

In  tender  consideration  whereof  we  pray  your 
Honoress  to  grant  your  humble  petitioners  their 
above  request  and  such  other  and  further  relief  in 
the  premises  as  to  your  Honoress  may  seem  right 
and  proper;  and  your  petitioners  as  in  duty  bound 
will  ever  pray,  etc.  (A  LINCOLN 

,„.       ,,  I O.  B.  WEBB 

(Signed)          UJ.HARDIN' 

I  JOHN  DAWSON  3 

1  Mr.  Browning,  afterwards  United  States  Senator,  and  Secre 
tary  of  the  Interior  under  Johnson,  was  at  this  time  a  member 
of  the  Illinois  State  Senate. 

*  John  J.  Hardin,  Member  of  Congress  from  Illinois,  1843-45; 
killed  at  the  head  of  his  regiment  at  Buena  Vista,  Feb.  27,  1847. 

3  One  of  Lincoln's  colleagues  in  the  Legislature. 


To 


To l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Sept.  26th,  1840. 

Dear  Sir:  I  duly  reed,  your  letter  with  the  enclos 
ures  dated  the  6th  inst.  which  I  have  had  on  hand 
ever  since,  waiting  the  return  of  C.  Walker  &  have 
not  seen  him  till  this  moment.  You  state  that 
some  years  since  M.  D.  Browning  of  Quincy,  pur 
chased  a  floating  Claim  &  entered  therewith  cer 
tain  lands  and  took  an  assignment  of  the  Certificate, 
from  me  to  Jefferson  Taliaferro  my  interest  there 
in  &  that  an  action  of  ejectment  has  commenced. 
Now,  I  have  no  recollection  of  the  transaction,  and 
if  I  did  it  I  have  forgotten  it,  nor  do  I  presume  it 
was  done  by  me  in  person,  but  it  may  have  been 
done  by  some  person  that  claimed  to  be  my  friend 
in  the  matter,  in  that  floating  claim  although  in  my 
name  I  have  no  interest.  If  you  desire  it  and  can 
make  me  safe  I  have  no  objection  to  make  such 
arrangements  as  we  can  agree  upon.  As  I  am  un 
acquainted  with  the  transaction  I  am  unwilling  to 
make  any  conveyance  until  I  see  the  assignment  & 
original  certificate.  If  Mr.  Underbill  will  bring  that 
Certificate  I  will  do  all  an  honorable  man  should  do. 
It  is  not  money  but  safety  I  desire.  I  am  too  much 
pressed  [  ?]  professionally  to  go  over  but  if  Mr.  Un 
derbill  will  come  on  &  bring  the  assigned  Certificate, 
I  will  do  all  in  safety  I  can  or  ought. 

Yours  very  sincerely    A.  LINCOLN. 

1  In  the  Frank  Logan  Collection. 


6        Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  JOHN  T.  STUART  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  Feb.  5,  1841. 

Dear  Stuart:  Some  of  us  here  have  concluded  that 
if  it  is  agreeable,  Bat  Webb  shall  be  our  District 
Attorney.  He  would  accept  the  place,  but  will  not 
enter  into  a  scramble  for  it.  We  here,  or  at  least  I, 
know  of  no  other  applicant.  I  will  add  that  I  really 
have  my  heart  set  upon  Webb's  appointment  to 
this  place,  and  that  I  believe  the  whole  party  would 
be  gratified  with  it. 

What  the  Locos  will  do  about  the  Congressional 
election,  no  man  can  tell.  I  heard  Herndon  say  on 
yesterday  that  he  was  in  favor  of  taking  Jersey, 
Green,  Scott,  Morgan,  Cass,  Menard,  Sangamon, 
Logan  and  Tazewell  from  your  District  and  add 
ing  them  to  Reynolds,  and  leaving  all  else  in  statu 
quo.  Something  like  this  I  think  more  probable 
than  the  District  system,  because  our  opponents 
are  somewhat  afraid  of  the  latter  themselves. 
As  ever,  your  friend, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  COLONEL  W.  H.  DAVIDSON  2 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  4,  1841. 

Dear  Colonel:  Yours  of  the  23rd  ult.  is  duly  re 
ceived  and  I  have  most  cheerfully  complied  with 

1  Lincoln's  first  law  partner. 

2  Original  owned  by  Mrs.  Frank  E.  Hay,  Carmi,  111. 


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To  Samuel  D.  Marshall  7 

the  request  you  make  in  relation  to  Colonel  Ser- 
vaut.  I  have  written  to  Mr.  Tyler  saying  all  for  the 
Colonel  that  I  could  say  for  the  best  man  on  earth. 
Baker l  will  do  the  same  to-day.  *< 

About  the  matter  you  and  I  spoke  of  at  our  last 
parting,  I  can  say  nothing  which  would  be  news  to 
you.  My  feelings,  and  those  of  Baker,  on  that  sub 
ject,  are  precisely  the  same  as  when  we  last  saw 
you;  but  the  question  is  how  to  effect  anything.  If 
you  see  any  way  that  we  can  do  anything  you  ought 
to  write  us:  there  is  no  indelicacy  in  it. 

Baker  and  I  were  with  Webb  at  Vermillion  and 
talked  the  matter  over  with  him  and  he  will  tell  you 
the  particulars  of  what  we  thought. 

With  my  best  respects  to  Mrs.  Davidson  and 
Mrs.  Wilson,  I  remain, 

Your  friend,  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL  2 

SPRINGFIELD,  July  14,  1842. 

Friend  Sam :  Yours  of  the  isth  June,  relative  to 
the  suit  of  Grable  vs.  Margrave  was  duly  received, 

1  Doubtless  Edward  Dickinson  Baker,  then  a  member  of  the 
Illinois  Senate,  afterwards  United  States  Senator  from  Oregon. 
He  fell  at  Ball's  Bluff,  where  he  commanded  a  brigade. 

2  Of  Shawneetown,  111.,  son  of  John  Marshall  of  the  same  place, 
who  was  one  of  the  Territorial  Judges  of  Illinois.  Original  owned 
by  Misses  Genevieve  and  Elizabeth  Marshall,  of  Shawneetown. 


8        Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

and  I  have  delayed  answering  it  till  now,  when  I 
can  announce  the  result  of  the  case.  The  judgment 
is  affirmed.  So  soon  as  the  clerk  has  leisure  to  make 
out  a  copy  of  the  mandate  of  the  court,  I  will  get 
him  to  do  so,  and  send  it  to  you,  by  force  of  which, 
your  clerk  will  issue  an  execution. 

As  to  the  fee,  if  you  are  agreed,  let  it  be  as  follows. 
Give  me  credit  for  two  years  subscription  to  your 
paper  and  send  me  five  dollars,  in  good  money  or 
the  equivalent  of  it  in  our  Illinois  paper. 

There  is  nothing  new  here.  Bennett's  Mormon 
disclosures  are  making  some  little  stir  here,  but  not 
very  great. 

Ever  your  friend 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  nth,  1842. 
Dear  Sam :  Yours  of  the  loth  Oct.  enclosing  five 
dollars  was  taken  from  the  office  in  my  absence  by 
Judge  Logan 2  who  neglected  to  hand  it  to  me  till 
about  a  week  ago,  and  just  an  hour  before  I  took  a 
wife.  Your  other  of  the  3rd  Inst.,  is  also  received. 
The  Forbes  &  Hill  case,  of  which  you  speak  has  not 
been  brought  up  as  yet. 

1  Original  owned  by  Misses  Genevieve  and  Elizabeth  Mar 
shall. 

2  Stephen  T.  Logan,  Lincoln's  law  partner,  1841-43;  formerly 
a  Judge  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court. 


To  Richard  S.  Thomas  9 

I  have  looked  into  the  Dormant  &  Lane  case,  till 
I  believe  I  understand  the  facts  of  it;  and  I  also 
believe  we  can  reverse  it.  In  the  last  I  may  be 
mistaken,  but  I  think  the  case  at  least  worth  the 
experiment,  and  if  Dorman  will  risk  the  cost,  I  will 
do  my  best  for  the  "biggest  kind  of  a  fee"  as  you 
say,  if  we  succeed,  and  nothing  if  we  fail.  I  have 
not  had  a  chance  to  consult  Logan  since  I  read  your 
letters,  but  if  the  case  comes  up,  I  can  have  the  use 
of  him  if  I  need  him. 

I  would  advise  you  to  procure  the  Record  and 
send  it  up  immediately.  Attend  to  the  making 
out  of  the  Record  yourself,  or  most  likely,  the  clerk 
will  not  get  it  all  together  right. 

Nothing  new  here,  except  my  marrying,  which 
to  me,  is  matter  of  profound  wonder. 
Yours  forever 

A.  LINCOLN. 

SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL,  ESQ. 

Shawneetozvn, 
Illinois. 


To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Feb.  14,  1843. 
Friend  Richard :  .  .  .  Now   if  you   should   hear 
any  one  say  that  Lincoln  don't  want  to  go  to  Con 
gress,  I  wish  you  as  a  personal  friend  of  mine, 

1  A  lawyer  of  Virginia,  111.;  an  old-line  Whig  until  the  organi 
zation  of  the  Republican  Party. 


8        Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

and  I  have  delayed  answering  it  till  now,  when  I 
can  announce  the  result  of  the  case.  The  judgment 
is  affirmed.  So  soon  as  the  clerk  has  leisure  to  make 
out  a  copy  of  the  mandate  of  the  court,  I  will  get 
him  to  do  so,  and  send  it  to  you,  by  force  of  which, 
your  clerk  will  issue  an  execution. 

As  to  the  fee,  if  you  are  agreed,  let  it  be  as  follows. 
Give  me  credit  for  two  years  subscription  to  your 
paper  and  send  me  five  dollars,  in  good  money  or 
the  equivalent  of  it  in  our  Illinois  paper. 

There  is  nothing  new  here.  Bennett's  Mormon 
disclosures  are  making  some  little  stir  here,  but  not 
very  great. 

Ever  your  friend 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  nth,  1842. 
Dear  Sam :  Yours  of  the  loth  Oct.  enclosing  five 
dollars  was  taken  from  the  office  in  my  absence  by 
Judge  Logan 2  who  neglected  to  hand  it  to  me  till 
about  a  week  ago,  and  just  an  hour  before  I  took  a 
wife.  Your  other  of  the  3rd  Inst.,  is  also  received. 
The  Forbes  &  Hill  case,  of  which  you  speak  has  not 
been  brought  up  as  yet. 

1  Original  owned  by  Misses  Genevieve  and  Elizabeth  Mar 
shall. 

2  Stephen  T.  Logan,  Lincoln's  law  partner,  1841-43;  formerly 
a  Judge  of  the  United  States  Circuit  Court. 


To  Richard  S.  Thomas  9 

I  have  looked  into  the  Dormant  &  Lane  case,  till 
I  believe  I  understand  the  facts  of  it ;  and  I  also 
believe  we  can  reverse  it.  In  the  last  I  may  be 
mistaken,  but  I  think  the  case  at  least  worth  the 
experiment,  and  if  Dorman  will  risk  the  cost,  I  will 
do  my  best  for  the  "biggest  kind  of  a  fee"  as  you 
say,  if  we  succeed,  and  nothing  if  we  fail.  I  have 
not  had  a  chance  to  consult  Logan  since  I  read  your 
letters,  but  if  the  case  comes  up,  I  can  have  the  use 
of  him  if  I  need  him. 

I  would  advise  you  to  procure  the  Record  and 
send  it  up  immediately.  Attend  to  the  making 
out  of  the  Record  yourself,  or  most  likely,  the  clerk 
will  not  get  it  all  together  right. 

Nothing  new  here,  except  my  marrying,  which 
to  me,  is  matter  of  profound  wonder. 
Yours  forever 

A.  LINCOLN. 

SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL,  ESQ. 

Shawneetown, 
Illinois. 


To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS  * 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Feb.  14,  1843. 
Friend  Richard : .  .  .  Now   if  you   should  hear 
any  one  say  that  Lincoln  don't  want  to  go  to  Con 
gress,  I  wish  you  as  a  personal  friend  of  mine, 

1  A  lawyer  of  Virginia,  111.;  an  old-line  Whig  until  the  organi 
zation  of  the  Republican  Party. 


io       Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

would  tell  him  you  have  reason  to  believe  he  is 
mistaken.  The  truth  is,  I  would  like  to  go  very- 
much.  Still,  circumstances  may  happen  which  may 
prevent  my  being  a  candidate. 

If  there  are  any  who  be  my  friends  in  such  an  en 
terprise,  what  I  now  want  is  that  they  shall  not 
throw  me  away  just  yet. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

SPRINGFIELD,  March  2,  1843. 

Friend  Richard:  I  received  yours  of  the  27th  ult., 
in  due  course,  for  which  I  thank  you.  The  fact  men 
tioned  by  you  that  an  impression  was  being  made 
that  I  did  not  wish  to  be  a  candidate  was  precisely 
the  reason  of  my  writing  you  before. 

The  Bill  forming  the  Districts  is  now  a  law,  and 
our  District  is  composed  of  Putnam,  Marshall, 
Woodford,  Tazewell,  Logan,  Mason,  Menard,  Cass, 
Scott,  Morgan  and  Sangamon. 

Last  night  the  Whigs  of  the  state,  now  here,  held 
a  meeting  and  recommended  that  a  convention  be 
held  in  each  District  on  or  before  the  first  Monday 
of  May,  to  nominate  candidates  for  congress.  By 
this  recommendation  your  county  will  have  two 
delegates  in  our  convention.  ,Why  might  you  not 
be  one  of  those  Delegates? 


To  Richard  S.  Thomas  n 

You  will  see  the  full  length  proceedings  of  the 
meeting  in  the  Journal.  The  meeting  was  large, 
and  every  resolution  passed  unanimously;  and  I 
do  hope  the  principles  and  recommendations  put 
forth  by  them  may  be  responded  to  with  the  same 
unanimity  by  our  friends  everywhere. 

If  they  shall  be  so  responded  to,  we  shall  yet, 
and  at  no  very  distant  day,  be  of  the  majority  in 
the  State. 

Write  me  again,  if  it  is  not  too  troublesome. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER  x 

SPRINGFIELD,  Jan.  2,  1844 

Friend  Dummer :  In  reply  to  yours  of  the  I4th 
ult.  I  say  that  if  you  can  get  a  clean  title  to  the 
40  acres  of  land,  together  with  costs,  and  a  reason 
able  fee  to  yourself,  I  reckon  you  had  better  do  it. 
Have  the  deed  made  to  me. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

SPRINGFIELD,  February  14,  1844. 

Friend  Richard :  I  am  sorry  to  have  to  say  I  can 
find  but  one  copy  of  the  President's  Message  in 
1  A  lawyer  of  Beardstown,  111. 


12       Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

town,  and  that  one  belongs  to  the  State  Library, 
and  of  course  cannot  be  had. 

If  alive  and  well  I  am  sure  to  be  with  you  on  the 
22nd.    I  will  meet  the  trio  of  mighty  adversaries 
you  mention,  in  the  best  manner  I  can. 
No  news  here. 

Yours  forever. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To 

SPRINGFIELD,  April  24,  1844. 

•  •••••••• 

As  to  the  real  estate,  we  can  not  attend  to  it  as 
agents,  and  we  therefore  recommend  that  you  give 
the  charge  of  it,  to  Mr.  Isaac  S.  Button,  a  trust 
worthy  man,  and  one  whom  the  Lord  made  on  pur 
pose  for  such  business. 

Yours  &c 

LOGAN  &  LINCOLN 


To  SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Dec*  6th,  1844. 
Dear  Sam :  In  your  last  letter,  you  incline  to  com 
plain,  that  in  mine,  I  did  not  notice  what  you  had 
said  about  the  case  of  Stickney  vs.  Cassell,  nor  the 

1  Original  owned  by  Misses  Genevieve  and  Elizabeth  Mar 
shall,  Shawneetown,  111. 


To  Samuel  D.  Marshall          13 

cases  against  the  Shawneetown  Bank.  The  truth  is, 
when  I  received  your  letter,  I  glanced  it  over,  stuck 
it  away,  postponed  the  consideration  of  the  cases, 
above  mentioned,  and  forgot  them  altogether.  I 
now  give  you  some  account  of  all  your  cases,  in  de 
tail.  Dorman  vs.  Lane,  stands  as  it  did  &  I  will  do 
the  best  I  can  with  it  according  to  your  instructions. 
Gatewood  vs.  Wood  &  Wood  we  would  have  failed 
entirely  to  get  into  court  but  for  an  agreement  with 
Mr.  Eddy,  which  saved  us.  By  the  agreement  we 
altered  the  record  so  as  to  make  it  appear  that  it 
had  been  sent  to  the  circuit  court,  also  agreeing 
that  at  the  next  term  of  the  Gallatin  Circuit  Court, 
all  the  papers  &  orders  are  to  be  altered  there  ac 
cordingly  nunc  pro  tune. 

Stickney  vs.  Cassell,  I  have  just  examined,  &  I 
think  I  can  get  the  judgement  affirmed.  I  '11  try. 
The  cases  against  the  Bank,  neither  Logan  nor  I 
can  engage  in  with  you ;  we  being  to  some  extent 
standing  counsel  for  Dunlap,  &  also  specially  re 
tained  by  him  in  these  cases.  Mr.  Eddy  has  re 
tained  me  in  a  case  for  your  father,  for  the  Supreme 
Court,  which,  however,  I  have  not  yet  examined. 

Give  my  respects  to  your  Father  and  believe  me 
as  ever 

Yours  sincere  friend 

A.  LINCOLN. 


14      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  20,  1845. 

Dear  Sam :  I  have  wondered  very  much  why  you 
never  wrote  me  concerning  the  Dorman  &  Lane 
case  since  I  wrote  you,  as  to  the  decision  of  it  in  the 
supreme  court.  I  learn  this  morning  at  the  clerk's 
office,  that  Lane  has  not,  as  yet,  taken  out  the 
order  remanding  it ;  and  I  think  it  possible,  he  may 
have  abandoned  it.  You,  perhaps,  know  his  inten 
tion.  The  case  of  Gatewood  vs.  Wood  &  Wood  — 
has  that  been  settled?  or  how  stands  it? 

At  the  request  of  Mr.  Eddy,  I  attended  a  case  in 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Rawlings  against  Field,  your 
father,  Mr.  Eddy  &  some  others,  and  got  the  judg 
ment  reversed.  This  was  no  business  of  yours, 
and  I  now  only  ask,  as  a  favor  of  you,  that  if  Mr. 
Eddy  is  well,  you  say  to  him  I  would  like  to  have 
the  little  fee  in  the  case,  if  convenient. 

Please  write  me  on  the  receipt  of  this. 
Yours  forever 

A.  LINCOLN. 
MR.  SAMUEL  MARSHALL 

To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  i8th,  1845. 

Friend  Dummer :  Before  Baker  left,  he  said  to 
me,  in  accordance  with  what  had  long  been  an 

1  By  courtesy  of  William  F.  Dummer,  Chicago  Historical  Society. 


To  Henry  E.  Dummer  15 

understanding  between  him  and  me,  that  the  track 
for  the  next  congressional  race  was  clear  to  me  so 
far  as  he  was  concerned;  and  that  he  would  say 
so  publicly  in  any  manner  and  at  any  time  I  might 
desire.  I  said  in  reply,  as  to  the  manner  and  time 
I  would  consider  a  while  and  write  him. 

I  understand  friend  Delahay  1  to  have  already 
informed  you  of  the  substance  of  the  above. 

I  now  wish  to  say  to  you  that  if  it  be  consistent 
with  your  feelings,  you  would  set  a  few  stakes  for 
me.  I  do  not  certainly  know,  but  I  strongly  suspect 
that  General  Hardin  wishes  to  run  again.  I  know 
of  no  argument  to  give  me  a  preference  over  him, 
unless  it  be  "Turn  about  is  fair  play." 

The  Pekin  paper  has  lately  nominated  or  sug 
gested  Hardin' s  name  for  Governor,  and  the  Alton 
paper,  noticing  that,  indirectly  nominates  him  for 
Congress.  I  wish  you  would,  if  you  can,  see  that, 
while  these  things  are  handed  about  among  the 
papers,  the  Beardstown  paper  takes  no  stand  that 
may  injure  my  chance  unless  the  conductor  really 
prefers  Genl.  Hardin,  in  which  case  I  suppose  it 
would  be  fair. 

Let  this  be  confidential  and  please  write  me  in  a 
few  days. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Probably  Mark  W.  Delahay,  a  Whig  politician,  later  of 
Kansas.  See  letters  on  pp.  99,  103,  116,  117,  134,  141,  and  176. 


16       Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

ToB.  F.JAMES  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Dec  6,  1845. 

B.  F.  JAMES  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir:  To  succeed,  I  must  have  17  votes  in 
convention.  To  secure  them,  I  think  I  may  safely 
claim  Sangamon  8,  Menard  2,  Logan  i,  making  n, 
so  that  if  you  and  other  friends  can  secure  Dr. 
Boal's 2  entire  senatorial  district,  that  is,Tazewell  4, 
Woodford  I,  and  Marshall  I,  it  just  covers  the 
case.  .  .  . 

Upon  the  whole,  it  is  my  intention  to  give  him 
the  trial,  unless  clouds  should  rise,  which  are  not 
yet  discernible.  This  determination  you  need  not, 
however,  as  yet,  announce  in  your  paper,  at  least 
not  as  coming  from  me.  .  .  . 

In  doing  this,  let  nothing  be  said  against  Hardin 
.  .'*.  nothing  deserves  to  be  said  against  him.  Let 
the  pith  of  the  whole  argument  be  "Turn  about 
is  fair  play." 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 
P.S.  .  .  . 

A.L. 

1  See  five  other  letters  to  James  written  during  this  campaign, 
in  Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay,  1894,  I,  82-85,  and  same,  Tandy's 
ed.,  1905,  i,  278,  282,  285,  286. 

2  Robert  Boal.    See  letter  of  Jan.  7,  1846,  to  him  in  Works, 
Nicolay  and  Hay,  Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  I,  280. 


To McNamar  17 

To  SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL 

SPRINGFIELD,  Dec1  30,  1845. 

Friend  Sam :  I  learned  today  that  Lane,  to  avoid 
paying  the  cost  of  taking  the  case  between  Dorman 
and  him  back  from  the  Supreme  Court,  has  com 
menced  a  new  proceeding  in  your  Circuit  Court. 
Write  me,  if  this  is  so;  and  I,  together  with  Judge 
Logan,  will  try  to  frame  a  plea  either  in  bar  or  in 
abatement,  out  of  the  fact  of  the  pendency  of  the 
old  case,  that  shall  blow  them  up  with  their  new 
case. 

By  the  way,  if  they  fail  for  more  than  [a]  year 
(which  they  have  nearly  done  already)  to  take  the 
old  case  down  from  here,  I  think  we  can  plead 
limitation  on  them,  so  that  it  will  stick  for  good 
and  all.  Don't  speak  of  this,  lest  they  hear  it,  and 
take  the  alarm. 

Write  me  on  receipt  of  this. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A  LINCOLN. 

To MCNAMAR  l 

[1845] 

Friend  McNamar :  You  see  the  object  of  the 
above  letter  as  it  speaks  of  the  tax  of  1842.  I  had 

1  John  McNamar,  or  John  McNeill,  as  he  called  himself  in 
New  Salem,  was  the  man  who  had  been  engaged  to  Anne  Rut- 


i8      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

supposed  the  land  was  already  sold,  but  so  far  as 
the  Returns  in  the  Auditor's  Office  shows,  it  has 
not.  It  may  be  that  James  meant  the  year  1843. 
I  wish  you  would  examine,  and  if  the  taxes  have 
been  paid  up  to  this  year,  apply  the  inclosed  money, 
or  enough  of  it,  to  the  payment  of  the  tax  of  this 
year  and  send  me  the  receipt  by  mail. 

Write  the  condition  in  which  it  stands  at  any 
rate. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  B.  F.  JAMES  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  Feb.  9,  1846 

Dear  James :  You  have  seen,  or  will  see  what 
I  am  inclined  to  think  you  will  regard  as  rather  an 
extraordinary  communication  in  the  Morgan  Jour 
nal.  The  "excessive  modesty"  of  its  tone  is  cer 
tainly  admirable.  As  an  excuse  for  getting  before 
the  public,  the  writer  sets  out  with  a  pretence  of 
answering  an  article  which  I  believe  appeared  in 

ledge  before  Lincoln's  engagement  with  her  and  whose  apparent 
faithlessness  brought  about  her  fatal  illness.  This  letter  may 
refer  to  property  abandoned  by  him  when  he  left  New  Salem  in 
1834.  According  to  Mr.  Henry  C.  Whitney,  Lincoln  procured 
James  McNamar  (apparently  brother  of  John)  to  correct  the 
English  of  his  first  political  address,  in  1 83  2. 

1  At  Tremont,  111.  From  Proceedings  of  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society,  XLII,  83.  (Jan.,  1909.)  The  original  is  in  the 
Washburn  collection  in  the  manuscripts  of  the  Society. 


To  B.  F.  James  19 

the  Lacon  paper  some  time  since  taking  the  ground 
that  the  Pekin  convention  had  settled  the  rotation 
principle.  Now  whether  the  Pekin  convention  did 
or  did  not  settle  that  principle,  I  care  not.  If  I 
am  not,  in  what  I  have  done,  and  am  able  to  do,  for 
the  party,  near  enough  the  equal  of  Gen1  Hardin, 
to  entitle  me  to  the  nomination,  now  that  he  has 
one,  I  scorn  it  on  any  and  all  other  grounds.  •* 

So  far,  then,  as  this  Morgan  Journal  communica 
tion  may  relate  to  the  Pekin  convention,  I  prefer  that 
your  paper  shall  let  it  "stink  and  die"  unnoticed. 

There  is,  however,  as  you  will  see,  another  thing 
in  the  communication  which  is  an  attempt  to  in 
jure  me  because  of  my  declining  to  recommend 
the  adoption  of  a  new  plan,  for  the  selecting  a  can 
didate.  The  attempt  is  to  make  it  appear  that  I 
am  unwilling  to  have  a  fair  expression  of  the  whigs 
of  the  District  upon  our  respective  claims.  Now 
nothing  can  be  more  false  in  fact;  and  if  Gen'l 
Hardin  had  chosen  to  furnish  his  friend  with  my 
written  reason  for  declining  that  part  of  his  plan ; 
and  that  friend  had  chosen  to  publish  that  reason, 
instead  of  his  own  construction  of  the  act,  the  false 
hood  of  his  insinuation  would  have  been  most 
apparent.  That  written  reason  was  as  follows,  to 
wit: 

"As  to  your  proposals  that  a  poll  shall  be 
opened  in  every  precinct,  and  that  the  whole  shall 
take  place  on  the  same  day,  I  do  not  personally 


20       Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

object.  They  seem  to  me  to  not  be  unfair;  and  I 
forbear  to  join  in  proposing  them,  only  because  I 
rather  choose  to  leave  the  decision  in  each  county, 
to  the  whigs  of  the  county,  to  be  made  as  their  own 
judgment  and  convenience  may  dictate." 

I  send  you  this  as  a  weapon  with  which  to  de 
molish,  what  I  cannot  but  regard  as  a  mean  insinu 
ation  against  me.  You  may  use  it  as  you  please ;  I 
prefer  however  that  you  should  show  it  to  some  of 
our  friends,  and  not  publish  it,  unless  in  your  judge 
ment  it  becomes  rather  urgently  necessary.  The 
reason  I  want  to  keep  all  points  of  controversy  out 
of  the  papers,  so  far  as  possible,  is,  that  it  will  be 
just  all  we  can  do  to  keep  out  of  a  quarrel — and  I 
am  resolved  to  do  my  part  to  keep  peace. 

Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL 

SPRINGFIELD,  March  3,  1846. 

Dear  Sam:  I  herewith  send  you  the  draft  of  a 
plea  for  our  case.  By  consultation  with  Judge 
Logan,  I  draw  it  in  the  form  I  do,  to  compel  Lane, 
in  order  to  get  round  it,  to  reply  that  the  case  has 
been  brought  to,  and  reversed  &  remanded  by  the 
Supreme  Court,  upon  his  doing  which,  you  join 
issue  with  him,  and  that  will  compel  him  to  pay 
the  cost  in  the  Supreme  Court  in  order  to  get  the 


To  Samuel  D.  Marshall          21 

Record  to  prove  his  replication  with.  If  I  were  to 
set  out  the  whole  facts  in  a  plea  in  abatement, 
we  should  have  to  pay  the  Supreme  Court  cost,  in 
order  to  get  the  record  to  prove  the  plea  with.  This 
we  wish  to  avoid.  This  that  I  send,  is  a  plea  in 
bar.  You  will,  of  course,  put  in  all,  and  all  man 
ner,  of  other  pleas  in  bar,  particularly  as  to  lapse 
of  time. 

Yours,  as  ever  —  A  LINCOLN. 
Dorman  &  Wife  \ 

vs  j- Petition  to  sell  real  estate  — - 

Lane,  Admr  &c  J 

And  the  said  defendants  come 
and  defend,  when,  where  &c.  and  say,  that  the 
said  Petitioner  to  have  and  maintain  his  petition, 
or  to  have  the  prayer  thereof  granted  by  said  court, 
ought  not,  because  they  say,  that  heretofore  to  wit, 
on  the  day  of  A.D.  the  said  peti 

tioner  filed  his  petition  in  this  court,  against  these 
defendants,  praying  an  order  for  the  sale  of  the 
identical  same  land,  for  the  purpose  of  paying  the 
identical  same  debt,  as  in  the  petition  herein; 
and  that  such  proceedings  were  had  on  that  peti 
tion,  that  at  the  term  of  said  court,  the 
final  order  was  made  by  said  court,  directing  the 
sale  of  said  land,  for  the  object  in  that  petition 
stated;  and  this  the  said  defendants  are  ready 
to  verify;  wherefore  they  pray  judgment  &c. 

MARSHALL  p.d. 


22      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  ORVILLE  H.  BROWNING 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  24th,  1847. 

Dear  Browning: — Yours  of  the  I9th  inst.  is  re 
ceived,  and  I  have  filed  a  plea  for  you  in  the  case 
of  Moore  vs.  Latourette. 

Don't  fret  yourself  about  the  trouble  you  give 
me;  when  I  get  tired  I'll  tell  you. 

I  am  glad  you  sent  this  letter,  because  it  re 
minds  me  to  write  the  result  of  your  two  cases  of 
Moore  vs.  Brown  &  God  knows  who  all,  the  charge 
of  which  you  sent  to  Logan,  and  into  which  he 
drew  me  with  him. 

We  tried  one  of  them,  in  which,  after  the  plain 
tiff  proved  title,  we  offered  the  Auditor's  deed,  as 
the  first  link  of  connected  title  and  seven  years 
possession,  which  was  objected  to,  and  the  judges 
divided  in  opinion,  which  division  is  certified  for 
the  Supreme  Court.  The  other  case  stands  over  to 
abide  &c. 

Indeed,  indeed,  I  do  not  know  what  they  are  do 
ing  in  the  Convention.  It  is  considered  as  almost 
settled  that  they  will  not  prohibit  Banks,  that  they 
will  establish  a  poll  tax,  will  restrict  the  number  of 
members  of  both  Houses  of  the  Legislature  to  100; 
will  limit  their  per  diem  to  $2.00  or  $2.50  and  make 
it  still  less  after  the  first  forty  days  of  the  session. 
So  far  as  I  have  mentioned,  I  am  pleased.  Some 
other  things  I  have  fears  for.  I  am  not  easy  about 


To  Orville  H.  Browning         23 

the  Courts.  I  am  satisfied  with  them  as  they  are, 
but  shall  not  care  much  if  the  judges  are  made 
elective  by  the  People,  and  their  term  of  office 
limited.  I  fear,  however,  something  more,  and,  as 
I  think,  much  worse  than  all  this,  to  wit  "  A  Puppy 
Court/'  that  is  a  Judge  in  each  county,  with  civil 
jurisdiction  in  all  cases  up  to  a  thousand  dollars, 
and  criminal  in  all  cases  not  capital.  "A Migratory 
Supreme  Court"  and  salaries  so  low  as  to  exclude 
all  respectable  talent.  From  these  —  may  God 
preserve  us. 

As  to  what  I,  Baker,  and  everybody  else  are 
doing,  I  am  preparing  to  go  to  the  Chicago  River 
&  Harbor  Convention.  Baker  has  gone  to  Alton, 
and  is  thought  to  be  Colonel  of  the  South  Regiment, 
and  everybody  is  doing  pretty  much  what  every 
body  is  always  doing. 

I  hope  this  may  find  you  well,  and  Mrs.  Brown 
ing  recovered  from  her  hurt.  I  don't  believe  Mary 
and  I  can  visit  Quincy,  although  it  would  be  very 
pleasant  to  do  so. 

My  Chicago  trip  and  "several  other  gentlemen" 
(Bob  &  Ed)  are  very  much  in  the  way  of  it.  Our 
love  to  Mrs.  Browning  and  yourself. 

A.  LINCOLN. 


24      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  CONVERSE  &  PRIEST 

October  1st.  1847. 

Messrs.  Converse  y  Priest :  If  you  will  let  Mr. 
E.  G.  Johns  have  any  amount  of  oil  not  exceeding 
ten  dollars  in  value,  I  will  pay  you  the  money  for  it 
in  three  months  from  date. 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  MORRIS  &  BROWN 

SPRINGFIELD,  Oct.  19,  1847. 

Friends  Morris  and  Brown.  Your  letter  of  the 
1 5th  was  received  this  morning.  The  Governor 
is  not  here,  and  will  not  be,  it  is  thought,  for  about 
ten  days.  Unfortunately  for  my  attending  to  the 
business  you  sent,  I  start  for  Washington  by  way 
of  Kentucky,  on  next  Monday. 

I  will  try,  however,  to  have  the  only  objection 
that  can  be  made  presented  to  the  Governor.  I 
suppose  it  is  the  true  construction  of  the  act  of 
Congress  for  the  Governor,  on  whom  the  requisi 
tion  is  made,  to  look  to  the  sufficiency  of  the  affi 
davit;  otherwise  the  provision  of  the  act,  that  a 
copy  of  the  enactment  or  affidavit  shall  accom 
pany  the  requisition  is  mere  foolishness.  What 
view,  however,  our  Governor  will  take  no  man  can 
tell. 

If  he  shall  make  the  order  surrendering  the  de- 


To  Morris  &  Brown  25 

fendants,  you  will  have  then  to  do  the  best  you 
can  by  a  Habeas  Corpus. 

Yours  in  haste, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  MORRIS  &  BROWN 

SPRINGFIELD,  October  21,  1847. 

MESSRS.  MORRIS  AND  BROWN. 

Gentlemen : — Your  second  letter  on  the  matter  of 
Thornton  and  others,  came  to  hand  this  morning. 
I  went  at  once  to  see  Logan,  and  found  that  he  is 
not  engaged  against  you,  and  that  he  has  so  sent 
you  word  by  Mr.  Butterfield,  as  he  says.  He  says 
that  some  time  ago,  a  young  man  (whom  he  knows 
not)  came  to  him,  with  a  copy  of  the  affidavit,  to  en 
gage  him  to  aid  in  getting  the  Governor  to  grant 
the  warrant ;  and  that  he,  Logan,  told  the  man  that, 
in  his  opinion,  the  affidavit  was  clearly  insufficient, 
upon  which  the  young  man  left,  without  making 
any  engagement  with  him.  If  the  Governor  shall 
arrive  before  I  leave,  Logan  and  I  will  both  attend 
to  the  matter,  and  he  will  attend  to  it  if  he  does  not 
come  till  after  I  leave ;  all  upon  the  condition  that 
the  Governor  shall  not  have  acted  upon  the  matter 
before  his  arrival  here.  I  mention  this  condition, 
because  I  learned  this  morning  from  the  Secre 
tary  of  State  that  he  is  forwarding  to  the  Gover 
nor,  at  Palestine,  all  papers  he  receives  in  the  case, 


26      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

as  fast  as  he  receives  them.  Among  the  papers 
forwarded  will  be  your  letter  to  the  Governor  or 
Secretary  of,  I  believe,  the  same  date  and  about  the 
same  contents  of  your  last  letter  to  me ;  so  that  the 
Governor  will,  at  all  events  have  your  points  and 
authorities.  The  case  is  a  clear  one  on  our  side; 
but  whether  the  Governor  will  view  it  so  is  an 
other  thing. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

WASHINGTON,  January  i,  1848. 

Dear  Richard:  Your  letter  of  the  23rd  Dec.  is 
received,  as  also  the  petition  you  mentioned. 

When  documents  become  plenty,  which  they 
have  not  yet,  I  will  send  them  to  you.  There  is 
a  good  deal  of  diversity  among  the  whigs,  as  to 
who  shall  be  their  candidate  for  the  Presidency, 
but  I  think  it  will  result  in  favor  of  General 
Taylor. 

As  to  Mr.  Graham's1  application  for  a  Lieuten 
ancy,  I  have  already  submitted  it  to  the  President 
in  the  best  way  I  could  think  of  to  give  it  chance 
of  success.  I  wrote  him  about  it;  and  do  not  know 
anything  more  that  I  can  do  for  him.  You  know  I 

1  Perhaps  Menton  Graham,  schoolmaster  at  New  Salem,  and 
an  early  and  helpful  friend  of  Lincoln. 


To  Andrew  McCallen  27 

can  have  no  intimacy  with  the  President,  which 
might  give  me  personal  influence  over  him. 
In  great  haste,  yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  SAMUEL  D.  MARSHALL  1 

WASHINGTON,  Jan.  22,  1848. 

Dear  Sam:  Your  letter  of  the  I5th  is  received. 
Your  letter  to  me  concerning  our  Dorman  Case  was 
also  received,  while  I  was  very  busy  preparing  to 
start  on  here.  I  handed  the  letter  to  Judge  Logan 
and  extorted  a  special  promise  from  him  to  ex 
amine  the  case  &  write  you.  Although  I  know  the 
Judge  to  be  growing  somewhat  negligent,  I  did  not 
doubt  that,  from  the  peculiarity  of  this  case,  and 
his  very  assuring  promise,  he  would  attend  to  it. 
I  know  he  intended  to  do  it ;  but  I  suppose  he  has 
forgotten  it.  I  know  nothing  that  I  can  here  do 
in  the  matter. 

As  to  the  matter  of  your  lost  horse,  I  will  look 
into  it,  &  do  something  if  I  can. 

Yours  truly      A.  LINCOLN. 

To  ANDREW  MCCALLEN  2 

WASHINGTON,  Feb.  4,  1848. 

Friend  McCallen :  Yours  of  the  2oth  January  is 
received.  There  is  now  some  probability  of  peace, 

1  Original  owned  by  Misses  Genevieve  and  Elizabeth  Mar 
shall,  Shawneetown,  111.  2  A  lawyer  in  Shawneetown,  111. 


28       Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

but  should  the  war  go  on,  I  think  volunteers  with 
the  right  of  electing  their  own  officers  will  be  voted, 
but  that  no  more  regulars  will  be  voted.  Until 
congress  shall  act,  of  course  nothing  can  be  done 
toward  getting  your  Regiment  into  the  service. 
Whenever  it  shall  act  I  shall  be  happy  to  assist 
you  in  any  way  I  can. 

Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN. 

P.S.  Don't  pay  postage  on  letters  to  me.  I  am 
entitled  to  them  free. 

A.L. 

To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

WASHINGTON,  March  i,  1848. 

Friend  Richard:  Your  letter  of  the  I2th  Feb.  to 
gether  with  the  petition  for  a  mail  route  was  re 
ceived  last  night.  Strange  it  was  on  the  road  so 
long.  I  shall  present  the  petition,  and  give  it  my 
best  attention. 

Your  second  letter  was  received,  and  I  thought 
I  had  answered  it.  I  am  not  a  candidate  for  re- 
nomination  or  election. 

Excuse  the  shortness  of  this  letter;  I  am  really 
very  much  hurried. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 

R.  S.  THOMAS, 
VIRGINIA,  ILLS. 


To  Richard  S.  Thomas  29 

To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

WASHINGTON,  March  30,  1848 
Dear  Richard :  Having  a  few  leisure  moments,  I 
employ  them  to  say  a  word  about  your  petition 
concerning  school  lands.  The  petition  was  referred 
to  the  Land  Committee  of  which  I  am  not  a  mem 
ber;  so  that  while  in  Committee,  I  can  have  no 
direct  agency  in  the  matter.  McClernand  of  our 
state  is  on  that  committee;  and  he  told  me  yes 
terday,  or  the  day  before,  that  the  Committee  had 
unanimously  determined  to  do  nothing  in  the  mat 
ter,  so  far  as  concerns  the  townships  which  have 
entire  sixteenth  sections,  but  which  are  of  little 
or  no  value ;  because  to  enter  upon  this,  would  be  to 
break  up  the  entire  present  system  of  school  lands 
throughout  the  United  States,  which  would  be 
immensely  inconvenient,  and  which,  after  all,  could 
never  result  in  anything  much  nearer  equality  than 
the  present  system.  He  says  the  Committee  are 
for  the  petition  so  far  as  concerns  fractional  town 
ships,  which  have  no  sixteenth  section,  or  only 
fractional  ones,  containing  less  than  a  thirty- 
sixth  of  the  land  of  the  township.  He  says  they 
think  there  is  already  an  old  law  concerning  the 
case;  and  that  they  are  investigating  it,  and  if 
necessary  to  effect  the  object,  they  will  report  a 
bill  accordingly.  Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


30      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  REV.  HENRY  SLICER 

WASHINGTON,  June  i,  1848. 
REV.  HY.  SLICER. 

Dear  Sir :  Your  letter  of  the  30*?  ulto.  was  re 
ceived  last  night.  I  very  cheerfully  comply  with 
your  request,  so  far  as  I  am  able. 

As  I  remember,  the  House  ordered  the  raising 
of  two  committees,  one  of  Arrangements,  number 
indefinite,  the  other,  thirty  in  number,  to  attend 
the  remains  of  Mr.  Adams  to  Massachusetts.  By 
some  mistake,  as  I  understood,  a  committee  of 
thirty  was  appointed  by  the  Speaker,  as  a  commit 
tee  of  Arrangements,  of  which  I  was  a  member.  At 
our  first  meeting,  the  mistake  was  discovered,  and 
the  committee  being  much  too  numerous  for  con 
venience,  we  delegated  our  authority  to  a  sub 
committee,  of  a  smaller  number  of  our  own  body,  of 
which  sub-committee,  I  was  not  a  member.  What 
ever  was  done  in  the  matter  about  which  you  en 
quire,  I  presume  was  done  by  the  sub-committee ; 
at  all  events,  I  have  no  knowledge  of  it  whatever. 
Mr.  Hudson  was  chairman  of  both  the  general, 
and  the  sub-committee,  and  who  were  the  other 
members  of  the  latter  I  do  not  certainly  recol 
lect. 

To  your  first  special  interrogatory,  to  wit:  "Were 
you  consulted  in  regard  to  my  exclusion  from  the 
services?"  I  answer,  I  was  not  —  perhaps  because 


To  Richard  S.  Thomas  31 

the  arrangement  I  have  stated  excluded  me  from 
consultations  on  all  points. 

To  the  second,  to  wit:  "Was  objection  made 
to  me,  and  if  so,  on  what  ground  was  it  placed?" 
I  answer  I  know  nothing  whatever  on  the  point. 
To  the  third,  to  wit:  "Did  my  exclusion  meet  with 
your  consent  or  approval  ?  "  I  answer,  I  know  nothing 
of  the  matter,  and,  of  course,  did  not  consent  to,  or 
approve  of,  it ;  and  I  may  add,  that  I  know  nothing 
which  should  have  justified  me  in  any  attempt  to 
put  a  mark  of  disapprobation  upon  you. 

So  entirely  ignorant  was  I,  in  relation  to  your 
having  been  excluded  from  the  funeral  services  of 
Mr.  Adams,  that,  until  I  received  your  letter,  I 
should  have  given  it  as  my  recollection,  that  you 
did  actually  participate  in  those  services. 
Yours  respectfully, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

WASHINGTON,  June  13,  1848. 

Friend  Richard :  In  my  anxiety  for  the  result,  I 
was  led  to  attend  the  Philadelphia  convention;  and 
on  my  return,  I  found  your  letter  of  the  ist.  I  have 
entered  the  names  you  sent  me  on  my  book,  and 
commenced  sending  documents  to  them. 

In  relation  to  the  school  land  questions,  the  land 
committee  of  both  Houses  are  of  opinion  the  law 


32       Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

is  already  ample  in  relation  to  fractional  townships. 
To  make  sure  of  the  matter,  I  shall  go  to  the  Gen 
eral  Land  Office  to-morrow  morning,  enquire  into 
the  whole  matter,  and  write  you  again.  As  to  the 
report  you  saw  in  the  Baltimore  paper,  on  inquiry 
I  think  it  must  have  been  a  report  of  the  Senate. 
No  such  bill  has  passed  the  House;  but  Breese  l 
says  he  reported  such  a  bill  to  the  Senate,  which  he 
supposes  has  passed  that  body.  I  think  I  wrote 
you  once  before,  that  I  thought  no  such  bill 
could  become  a  law,  and  gave  my  reasons  for  the 
opinion.  Lest  I  am  mistaken  in  my  recollection, 
I  now  give  you  those  reasons  briefly.  The  jus 
tice  of  such  a  law  rests  upon  the  principle  that 
every  township  should  have  a  section  of  equal 
value  with  every  other  township,  in  proportion  to 
its  capacity  for  population.  Now,  to  adopt  this 
principle,  and  practically  apply  it,  would  entirely 
break  up  the  present  system,  in  relation  to  school 
sections,  and  require  an  amount  of  agencies  and 
labor,  more  than  equal  in  expense  to  the  whole 
expense  of  the  present  land  system.  Seeing  this, 
members  of  congress  are  disinclined  to  do  a  very 
little,  and  leave  undone  very  much  of  a  matter  all 
standing  on  the  same  principle. 

It  is  now  obvious,  that  in  the  beginning  of  our 
land  system,  one  thirty-sixth  of  the  proceeds  of 
the  land  should  have  been  given  for  school  purposes, 

1  Sidney  Breese,  Senator  from  Illinois,  1843-49. 


To Hogan  33 

instead  of  giving  the  land  itself;  and  then  the  states 
could  have  distributed  the  fund  or  the  interest  of 
it  equally. 

Wisconsin,  on  coming  into  the  Union  has  man 
aged  to  adopt  this  plan  substantially.  Should  the 
bill  from  the  Senate  come  up  in  the  House,  of 
course  I  shall  not  use  the  above  argument,  or  any 
other  argument  against  it;  but  on  the  contrary, 
shall  do  what  I  can  to  have  it  passed.  Still,  I  doubt 
its  ultimate  success. 

Yours  forever  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

WASHINGTON,  June  19,  1848. 

Friend  Thomas :  Do  you  know  any  democrats 
who  will  vote  for  Taylor?  and  if  so,  what  are  their 
names  ?  Do  you  know  any  Whigs  who  will  not  vote 
for  him  ?  and  if  so,  what  are  their  names  ?  and  for 
whom  will  they  vote  ? 

Please  answer  this  just  as  soon  as  it  is  received. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To HOGAN  l 

WASHINGTON,  July  14,  1848. 

Friend  Hogan :  Soon  after  I  received  yours,  I 
went  personally  to  the  General  Land  Office,  for 

1  Copy  furnished  by  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Judd  Stewart. 


34      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

the  information  you  desired.  Judge  Young 1  took  a 
memorandum,  and  promised  to  do  what  he  could. 
Last  night  he  sent  me  what  accompanies  this, 
which  I  suppose  is  all  the  information  can  be 
had. 

Taylorism  seems  to  be  going  right  for  which  I 
am  very  glad.  Keep  the  ball  rolling. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  WILLIAM  SCHOULER  2 

WASHINGTON,  August  8,  1848. 

Friend  Schooler  [sic],  —  I  am  remaining  here  for 
two  weeks  to  frank  documents.  Now  that  the 
Presidential  Candidates  are  all  set,  I  will  thank 
you  for  your  undisguised  opinion  as  to  what  New 
England  generally  and  Massachusetts  particularly 
will  do.  Your  opinion  as  to  the  nomination  of 
Taylor  held  so  good  that  I  have  confidence  in  your 
predictions. 

Very  truly  Yours 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Richard  M.  Young,   Commissioner  of   the  General  Land 
Office,  1847-50. 

2  Editor  and  publisher  of  the  Boston  Daily  Atlas.    Original 
owned  by  Mr.  James  Schouler.    Printed   in  Proceedings  of  the 
Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  XLII,  80  (Jan.,  1909). 


To  William  Schouler  35 

To  WILLIAM  SCHOULER  * 

WASHINGTON,  August  28,  1848 

Friend  Schooler  [sic], — Your  letter  of  the  2 Ist  was 
received  two  or  three  days  ago,  and  for  which 
please  accept  my  thanks,  both  for  your  courtesy 
and  the  encouraging  news  in  it.  The  news  we  are 
receiving  here  now  from  all  parts  is  on  the  look 
up.  We  have  had  several  letters  from  Ohio  to-day, 
all  encouraging.  Two  of  them  inform  us  that  Hon. 
C.  B.  Smith,2  on  his  way  here,  addressed  a  larger 
and  more  enthusiastic  audience,  at  Cincinnati,  than 
has  been  seen  in  that  city  since  1840.  Smith  himself 
wrote  one  of  the  letters ;  and  he  says  the  signs  are 
decidedly  good.  Letters  from  the  Reserve  are  of 
the  same  character.  The  tone  of  the  letters  —  free 
from  despondency  —  full  of  hope  —  is  what  par 
ticularly  encourages  me.  If  a  man  is  scared  when 
he  writes,  I  think  I  can  detect  it,  when  I  see  what 
he  writes. 

I  would  rather  not  be  put  upon  explaining  how 
Logan  was  defeated  in  my  district.  In  the  first  place 
I  have  no  particulars  from  there,  my  friends,  sup 
posing  I  am  on  the  road  home,  not  having  written 
me.  Whether  there  was  a  full  turn  out  of  the 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  James  Schouler.     Printed  in  Pro- 
ceedings  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  XLII,  80  (Jan., 
1909). 

2  Caleb  Blood  Smith,  Whig  Representative  from  Indiana, 
1843-49,  and  later  Lincoln's  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 


36      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

voters  I  have  as  yet  not  learned.  The  most  I  can 
now  say  is  that  a  good  many  Whigs,  without  good 
cause,  as  I  think,  were  unwilling  to  go  for  Logan, 
and  some  of  them  so  wrote  me  before  the  election. 
On  the  other  hand  Harris1  was  a  Major  of  the  war, 
and  fought  at  Cerro  Gordo,  where  several  Whigs 
of  the  district  fought  with  him.  These  two  facts 
and  their  effects,  I  presume  tell  the  whole  story. 
That  there  is  any  political  change  against  us  in  the 
district  I  cannot  believe;  because  I  wrote  some 
time  ago  to  every  county  of  the  district  for  an 
account  of  changes;  and  in  answer  I  got  the 
names  of  four  against  us,  eighty-three  for  us.  I 
dislike  to  predict,  but  it  seems  to  me  the  district 
must  and  will  be  found  right  side  up  again  in 
November. 

Yours  Truly 

A  LINCOLN. 

To  WALTER  DAVIS 

WASHINGTON,  Jan.  5,  1849. 

Friend  Walter:  Your  letter  is  received.  When 
I  last  saw  you,  I  said,  that  if  the  distribution  of 
the  offices  should  fall  into  my  hands,  you  should 
have  something,  and  I  now  say  as  much,  but 
can  say  no  more.  I  know  no  more  now  than  I 

1  Thomas  L.  Harris,  Democratic  Representative  from  Illi 
nois,  1849-51,  1855-58. 


To  C.  R.  Welles  37 

knew  when  you  saw  me,  as  to  whether  the  present 
officers  will  be  removed,  or  if  they  shall,  whether 
/  shall  be  allowed  to  name  the  persons  to  fill 
them. 

It  will  perhaps  be  better  for  both  you  and  me, 
for  you  to  say  nothing  about  this. 

I  shall  do  what  I  can  about  the  Land  claim  on 
your  brother  Thomas'  account.1 
Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  C.  R.  WELLES 

WASHINGTON,  Feb.  20,  1849. 

C.  R.  WELLES,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir:  This  is  Tuesday  evening,  and  your 
letter  enclosing  the  one  of  Young  &  Brothers  to  you, 
saying  the  money  sent  by  me  to  them  had  not  been 
received,  came  to  hand  last  Saturday  night.  The 
facts,  which  are  perfectly  fresh  in  my  recollection, 
are  these:  You  gave  me  the  money  in  a  letter  (open 
I  believe)  directed  to  Young  &  Brothers.  To  make 
it  more  secure  than  it  would  be  in  my  hat,  where 
I  carry  most  all  my  packages,  I  put  it  in  my  trunk. 
I  had  a  great  many  jobs  to  do  in  St.  Louis ;  and  by 
the  very  extra  care  I  had  taken  of  yours,  overlooked 

1  See  letters  in  reference  to  Davis's  appointment  as  Receiver 
of  the  Land  Office  at  Springfield,  111.,  in  Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay, 
1894,  i,  152, 155, 157,  and  same, Tandy's ed.,  1905,11, 112, 115, 122. 


:  f       L  etters  of  Abrah  2  m  Lincoln 

it.  Or.  :hr  S:e  —  >: .1:  r.?.i:  :>.e  -:-:u:.h  r:  the  Oh:?. 

1  opened  the  trunk*  and  daunwed  the  letter.   I 
then  began  to  cast  about  for  some  safe  hand  to 
send  k  back  by,  Mr.  Yeatman,  Judge  Rope's  son- 
in-law,  and  step-son  €sf  Mr.  Bell  of  Tennessee*  was 
on  board,  and  was  to  return  immediately  to  St. 
IXMJ^  frcm  the  Mouth  of  Cumberfan^  Atmyrc- 
qoes^  he  took  the  latter  and  promised  to  defiverit, 
^r.  d  I  heard  no  more  about  it  till  I  received  your 
letter  on  Saturday.  It  so  happens  that  Mr.  Yeat- 
man  K  now  in  this  Qty;  I  called  on  him  last  night 

2  rout  it;  he  said  he  remembered  my  giving  him  the 
letter,  and  he  could  remember  nothing  moie  of  it. 
He  told  me  he  would  try  and  refresh  his  memory, 
^  d  sec  me  again  concerning  k  today,  whkh,  how- 
e  er,  he  bas  not  done.   I  wiD  try  to  see  him  to- 
mmiuiv  and  write  you  again.  He  is  a  young  man, 
25  I  understand,  of  uiii|uestioncd»  and  unques 
tionable  character;  and  tJMg  mak*^  iyn?  fear  some 

the  boat  may  have  seen  me  give 
letter,  and  slipped  it  Cram  him.  In  this 
r  seeing  the  letter  agaio,  he  woukinatur- 
gh,  nevTcr  think  of  it  again. 
Yorastnily, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  John  M.  Clayton  39 

To  THOMAS  EWING,  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
WASHINGTON  June  22,  1849. 

Hox.  SECRETARY  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 

Sir:  Please  transmit  to  me  the  papers  on  file  in 
your  Department,  recommending  me  for  Commis 
sioner  of  General  Land  office,  if  not  inconsistent 
with  the  rules  of  the  Department. 
Your  obedient  Servt. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  JOHN  M.  CLAYTON,  Secretary  of  State 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL., 
July  28,  1849. 

HON.  J.  M.  CLAYTON. 

Dear  Sir:  It  is  with  some  hesitation  I  presume  to 
address  this  letter  —  and  yet  I  wish  not  only  you, 
but  the  whole  cabinet,  and  the  President  too,  would 
consider  the  subject  matter  of  it.  My  being  among 
the  People  while  you  and  they  are  not,  will  excuse 
the  apparent  presumption.  It  is  understood  that 
the  President  at  first  adopted,  as  a  general  rule,  to 
throw  the  responsibility  of  the  appointments  upon 
the  respective  Departments ;  and  that  such  rule  is 
adhered  to  and  practised  upon.  This  course  I  at 
first  thought  proper;  and,  of  course,  I  am  not  now 
complaining  of  it.  Still  I  am  disappointed  with  the 
effect  of  it  on  the  public  mind.  It  is  fixing  for  the 
President  the  unjust  and  ruinous  character  of  being 


40      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

a  mere  man  of  straw.  This  must  be  arrested,  or  it 
will  damn  us  all  inevitably.  It  is  said  Gen.  Taylor 
and  his  officers  held  a  council  of  war,  at  Palo  Alto 
(I  believe);  and  that  he  then  fought  the  battle 
against  unanimous  opinion  of  those  officers.  This 
fact  (no  matter  whether  rightfully  or  wrongfully) 
gives  him  more  popularity  than  ten  thousand  sub 
missions,  however  really  wise  and  magnanimous 
those  submissions  may  be. 

The  appointments  need  be  no  better  than  they 
have  been,  but  the  public  must  be  brought  to  un 
derstand,  that  they  are  the  President's  appoint 
ments.  He  must  occasionally  say,  or  seem  to  say, 
"by  the  Eternal,"  "I  take  the  responsibility." 
Those  phrases  were  the  "Samson's  locks"  of  Gen. 
Jackson,  and  we  dare  not  disregard  the  lessons  of 
experience. 

Your  Ob't  Sev't 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  PETER  HITCHCOCK 

CINCINNATI,  Dec  24,  1849. 
PETER  HITCHCOCK,  ESQ., 

Judge  &c  at  Columbus. 

Dear  Sir:  Mr.  Fox  informed  me  this  morning 
that  I  had  better  write  to  you  in  reference  to  the 
case  of  Lewis  Logan  and  Steamboat  Chipper  now 
on  the  docket.  We  have  been  ready  at  any  time  to 


To  S.  Emmons  41 

take  up  the  case  but  have  waited  for  the  brief  of  the 
other  side.  We  have  not  yet  received  it,  but  it  is 
promised  us  to-day. 

Judge  Coffin  left  here  yesterday  saying  that  he 
would  have  the  case  put  down  for  Friday.  If  I  get 
the  brief  to-day  or  to-morrow  I  presume  we  can  be 
ready  to  hear  it  then  and  will  be  at  Columbus  for 
that  purpose. 

We  are  very  anxious  to  have  it  heard  on  ac 
count  of  our  clients  in  this  case  and  because  the 
same  question  presented  in  the  record  is  now  be 
fore  the  Courts  of  this  county,  in  several  cases. 
Some  cause,  I  am  not  fully  aware  what,  has  pre 
vented  the  counsel  from  furnishing  the  brief  &c.  I 
hope  the  case  will  not  be  continued. 

Yours  respectfully,        A.  LINCOLN. 


To  S.  EMMONS 

SPRINGFIELD,  Feb.  9,  1850. 

S.  EMMONS,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  2nd  was  not  received  till 
yesterday.  I  shall  be  entirely  satisfied  for  you  to 
receive  the  appointment  you  desire ;  still  I  know  by 
conversation  with  the  Marshal  that  he  will  look 
to  the  wishes  of  the  people  of  your  county,  rather 
than  to  mine,  as  to  who  shall  have  the  appointment. 

Therefore  as  your  friend,  I  advise  you  to  get 
the  recommendation  of  some  of  your  prominent 


42      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

whigs  —  Dummer,  Dick  Thomas,  Arenz  and  such 
men,  and  I  will  most  cheerfully  present  them  to 
the  Marshal  when  he  shall  be  here. 
Very  truly  your  friend 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  27,  1850. 

Dear  Thomas:  I  am  ashamed  of  not  sooner  an 
swering  your  letter,  herewith  returned;  and  my 
only  apologies  are,  first,  that  I  have  been  very  busy 
in  the  U.S.  court;  and  second,  that  when  I  received 
the  letter  I  put  it  in  my  old  hat,  and  buying  a  new 
one  the  next  day,  the  old  one  was  set  aside,  and 
so  the  letter  lost  sight  of  for  a  time. 

Either  of  the  forms  you  gave  (the  latter  rather 
preferable)  would  do,  I  think,  if  it  were  proper  to 
frame  a  suit  on  the  bond,  in  which  sureties  as  well 
as  principal  are  to  be  held,  on  the  2yth  section. 
But  after  a  good  deal  of  reflection,  I  think  suits 
under  the  27th  section  are  to  be  brought  only 
against  the  offender  himself  for  penalties  incurred, 
and  not  against  him  and  his  sureties  on  his  bond. 
If  you  sue  on  the  bond,  you  can  go  for  nothing 
but  what  is  covered  by  the  condition  of  the  bond ; 
and  what  is  so  covered?  "that  the  applicant  will 
keep  an  orderly  house,  and  that  he  will  not  permit 
any  unlawful  gaming  or  riotous  conduct  in  his 


To  Richard  S.  Thomas  43 

house."  Now  look  quite  through  the  chapter  and 
find  what  penalty  is  given  for  "disorderly  house," 
"unlawful  gaming"  or  "riotous  conduct,"  or  for 
all  three  together.  The  first  eight  sections  say 
nothing  about  grocery  keepers ;  the  ninth  provides 
for  granting  the  license  and  taking  the  bond ;  the 
tenth,  eleventh,  twelfth,  thirteenth  and  fourteenth 
give  no  penalty  or  penalties;  the  fifteenth  cannot 
apply  to  this  case,  because  it  relates  to  selling  with 
out  license;  the  sixteenth  gives  a  penalty,  but  not 
for  any  of  the  causes  covered  by  the  bond ;  the 
seventeenth  has  nothing  to  the  purposes ;  the  eight 
eenth  goes  to  the  causes  covered  by  the  bond,  but 
no  pecuniary  penalty  is  given  by  it;  the  I9th,  2oth 
and  2  ist  do  not  touch  the  causes  covered  by  the 
bond,  and  with  those  sections  the  chapter  ends  as 
to  grocery  keepers.  Now  I  think  you  are  to  bring 
just  such  a  suit  on  the  bond  taken  under  the  ninth 
section,  as  you  would  bring,  if  the  27th  section  had 
no  existence. 

Bring  the  suit  in  the  name  of  whoever,  on  the 
face  of  the  bond,  is  made  the  obligee,  and  for  the 
use  of  whoever  is  entitled  to  the  money  when  col 
lected  ;  that  is,  if  the  bond  is  given  to  the  people  of 
the  state  of  Illinois,  your  first  leading,  which  I  mark 
(A),  is  right;  if  the  bond  is  given  to  an  individual, 
let  his  name  stand  in  place  of  that  of  the  People. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


44      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

TO-THOMAS  CORWIN  * 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  Sept  i  [1850?] 

Hon  Thomas  Corwin:  This  will  introduce  to  your 
acquaintance  my  friend  Simeon  Francis,  editor  of 
the  Illinois  Journal.  He  will  desire  an  interview 
with  the  new  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  with  whom 
I  am  not  acquainted.  I  shall  be  greatly  obliged  if 
you  will  procure  him  a  favorable  introduction  to 
that  gentleman,  and  show  him  any  other  attention 
which  the  press  of  your  duties  will  permit. 
Your  Obn  Serv't, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  D.  M.  IRWIN  2 

D.  M.  IRWIN. 

Dear  Sir:  Above  is  the  Bill  as  you  requested  me 
to  send  you.  Logan  only  attended  the  first  trial  in 
the  Circuit  Court.  I  alone,  that  is  without  any 
partner,  attended  the  case  in  the  Supreme  Court. 
In  the  Chancery  case  Mr.  Herndon  was  my  part 
ner.  I  mention  all  this  to  explain  the  three  separate 
bills. 

Yours  &c 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Mr.  Corwin  had  resigned  as  Senator  from  Ohio,  July  22, 1850, 
to  become  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  under  President  Taylor. 

2  At  bottom  of  a  bill  against  "The  Heirs  of  Payne"  divided 
into  £20,  $10,  and  #10,  and  covering  1844-50. 


To  Andrew  McCallen  45 

To WILSON,  Hotel  Proprietor 

SPRINGFIELD  ILLINOIS 
January  1851 

MR.  WILSON: 

Take  care  of  this  boy1  until  to-morrow,  or  longer 
if  the  weather  is  bad,  and  send  the  bill  to  me. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To WALLACE 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL. 
Jan.  1851. 

MR.  WALLACE,  PEORIA: 

Dear  Sir:  This  boy  wants  to  reach  the  Rock 
River  country  somewhere  near  Beloit.  If  he  needs 
any  assistance  so  you  can  help  him  in  any  way,  it 
will  be  appreciated,  and  I  will  be  responsible. 

Yours,         A.  LINCOLN 

To  ANDREW  MCCALLEN 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  July  4,  1851 

ANDREW  MCCALLEN, 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  news  from  Ottawa  that  we  win 
our  Gallatin  and  Saline  county  case.  As  the  Dutch 
justice  said  when  he  married  folks,  "Now  vere  ish 
my  hundred  tollars"  ? 

Yours  truly,         A.  LINCOLN 

1  The  boy  mentioned  in  this  note  and  the  next  was  Gilbert 
J.  Greene,  who  set  type  in  the  New  York  Tribune  office. 


46      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


To  L.  M.  HAYS 

MOUNT  PULASKI,  LOGAN  Co.  ILLS 
Sept.  8,  1853. 

MR.  L.  M.  HAYS, 

Dear  Sir:  Court  is  in  session  here  now,  and  on 
yesterday  I  got  a  judgment  against  G.  W.  Tenley 
for  $116,  90  cents.  The  reason  the  amount  was  no 
larger  was  that  the  defendant  proved  by  two  wit 
nesses  —  a  Wm.  Dodd,  and  a  Dr.  Mershow  —  that 
T.  P.  Taylor,  in  his  lifetime,  told  them  that  Tenley, 
in  1837,  had  offered  to  pay  him  the  money  on  the 
note,  and  that  he  refused  to  take  it,  saying  he  never 
intended  to  collect  it,  and  would  give  up,  or  de 
stroy,  the  note ;  on  which  proof  the  court  decided, 
and  I  think  correctly,  that  interest  could  not  be 
allowed  between  the  offer  to  pay  and  the  bringing 
of  the  suit.  This  cut  off  all  the  interest  but  the 
$16.90  as  a  fee,  and  will  send  you  the  $100  in  any 
way  you  may  direct.  I  am  following  the  Circuit 
and  shall  be  at  Bloomington,  Ills.,  two  weeks, 
ending  on  the  24th  of  this  month,  from  which  place 
I  will  send  you  the  money,  if  you  will  have  a  letter 
to  reach  me  there  on  or  before  the  last  named  day. 
I  can  buy  an  Eastern  draft  at  Bloomington,  or  at 
Springfield  after  my  return  there,  which  I  suppose 
will  be  the  best  way  of  remitting  the  money. 
Yours  etc. 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  T.  R.  Webber  47 

To  T.  R.  WEBBER 

BLOOMINGTON,  Sept  12,  1853. 
T.  R.  WEBBER,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  On  my  arrival  here  to  court,  I  find 
that  McLean  county  has  assessed  the  land  and 
other  property  of  the  Central  Railroad  for  the 
purpose  of  county  taxation.  An  effort  is  about  to 
be  made  to  get  the  question  of  the  right  to  so  tax 
the  Co.  before  the  court  and  ultimately  before  the 
supreme  court,  and  the  Co.  are  offering  to  engage 
me  for  them.  As  this  will  be  the  same  question  I 
have  had  under  consideration  for  you,  I  am  some 
what  trammelled  by  what  has  passed  between  you 
and  me,  feeling  that  you  have  the  first  right  to  my 
services,  if  you  choose  to  secure  me  a  fee  some 
thing  near  such  as  I  can  get  from  the  other  side. 

The  question  in  its  magnitude  to  the  Co.  on 
the  one  hand  and  the  counties  in  which  the  Co. 
has  land  on  the  other  is  the  largest  law  question 
that  can  now  be  got  up  in  the  State,  and  therefore 
in  justice  to  myself,  I  can  not  afford,  if  I  can  help 
it,  to  miss  a  fee  altogether.  If  you  choose  to  release 
me,  say  so  by  return  mail,  and  there  an  end.  If 
you  wish  to  retain  me,  you  better  get  authority 
from  your  court,  come  directly  over  in  the  stage 
and  make  common  cause  with  this  county. 
Very  truly  your  friend, 

A.  LINCOLN 


48      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  L.  M.  HAYS  » 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLINOIS, 
Nov.  n,  1853. 

L.  M.  HAYS,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir:  Inclosed  is  the  draft  for  one  hundred 
dollars.  Absence  from  home  prevented  my  receiving 
your  letter  of  the  I2th  October  until  yesterday. 
Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  17,  1853. 
Dear  Dummer :  While  I  was  at  Beardstown  I 
forgot  to  tell  you  that  William  Butler  says  if  you 
will  give  him  charge,  and  full  discretion,  of  a  claim 
in  your  hands,  against  George  G.  Grubb,  late  of 
Springfield,  now  of  Chicago,  he  knows  how,  and 
can  and  will  make  something  out  of  it  for  you. 
Please  write  him. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER 

SPRINGFIELD  Dec  26,  1853. 

H.  E.  DUMMER,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  Butler  has  just  shown  me  your  letter 
to  him  concerning  the  Grubb  debt ;  and  in  relation 
to  your  intimation  that  you  might  be  induced  to 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Judd  Stewart. 


To  John  Marshall  49 

sell  it,  he  desires  me  to  say  to  you  that  in  a  few  days 
over  three  months,  he  is  sure  to  get  the  principal 
of  the  debt  (without  interest)  and  that  after  you 
shall  have  received  this  information,  he  will  enter 
tain  any  proposition  you  may  make  to  sell. 
Please  write  him  again. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  JOHN  MARSHALL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Feby.  8,  1854. 

HON.  JOHN  MARSHALL 

Shawneetown,  Ills. 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  the  ist  inst.  was  re 
ceived  yesterday.  I  went  at  once  to  the  Express 
Office,  got  the  books,  placed  twenty-three  of  them 
at  one  Book-Store,  &  twenty-four  at  another,  for 
sale,  at  a  commission  of  ten  per  cent,  and  took 
their  receipts.  Of  the  other  three  books,  I  took  one 
to  the  Register,  one  to  the  Journal,  and  took  one 
home  with  me.  I  found  that  the  editors  and  book 
sellers  had  all  previously  seen  favorable  notices 
of  the  work ;  and  one  of  the  booksellers  had  sent 
an  order  to  Cincinnati  for  some  copies  of  it.  I  am 
not  much  of  a  reader  of  this  sort  of  literature ;  but 
my  wife  got  hold  of  the  volume  I  took  home,  read 

1  One  of  the  Territorial  Judges  of  Illinois  and  the  founder  of 
the  first  bank  in  the  State.  Original  owned  by  Mrs.  H.  H. 
Hayes,  a  granddaughter  of  Judge  Marshall. 


So      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

it  half  through  last  night,  and  is  greatly  interested 
in  it.  When  the  papers  here  shall  have  noticed  it, 
I  will  send  you  copies.  The  charge  at  the  Express 
office  was  only  $1.50;  I  return  herewith  one  dollar, 
&  hold  fifty  cents  subject  to  your  order. 

My  attention  to  the  matter  has  been  rather  a 
pleasure  than  a  trouble. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 


To  O.  L.  DAVIS  l 

SPRINGFIELD  June  22,  1854. 

O.  L.  DAVIS,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir:  —  You,  no  doubt,  remember  the  en 
closed  memorandum  being  handed  me  in  your  office. 

I  have  just  made  the  desired  search,  and  find 
that  no  such  deed  has  ever  been  here.  Campbell,  the 
auditor,  says  that  if  it  were  here,  it  would  be  in  his 
office,  and  that  he  has  hunted  for  it  a  dozen  times, 
and  could  never  find  it.  He  says  that  one  time  and 
another,  he  has  heard  much  about  the  matter,  that 
it  was  not  a  deed  for  Right  of  Way,  but  a  deed, 
outright,  for  Depot-ground  —  at  least,  a  sale  for 
Depot-ground,  and  there  may  never  have  been  a 
deed.  He  says,  if  there  is  a  deed,  it  is  most  probable 
General  Alexander,  of  Paris,  has  it. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  A  lawyer  of  Illinois.  Printed  in  Writings,  Lapsley  ed.,  vn,  381. 


To  Richard  Yates  51 

To  RICHARD  S.  THOMAS 

SPRINGFIELD,  Aug.  24,  1854. 

HON.  R.  S.  THOMAS. 

Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  the  I9th  was  received 
day  before  yesterday.  The  payee  of  the  note  did 
write  me  that  he  had  written  Allard  on  the  subject 
of  the  note  in  your  hands;  so  that  when  Allard 
shows  you  the  letter,  you  need  not  doubt  its  gen 
uineness. 

If  the  letter  does  unconditionally,  or  only  with 
the  condition  of  any  consent,  agree  to  take  $no. 
and  my  fee,  settle  the  matter  that  way.  As  to  the 
amount  of  my  fee,  take  ten  dollars,  which  you 
and  I  will  divide  equally. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  RICHARD  YATES  l 

NAPLES,  Oct.  30,  1854. 

Dear  Yates :  I  am  here  now  going  to  Quincy,  to 
try  to  give  Mr.  Williams  a  little  life.  I  expect  to  be 
back  in  time  to  speak  at  Carlinville  on  Saturday,  if 
thought  expedient.  What  induces  me  to  write  now 
is  that  at  Jacksonville  as  I  came  down  to-day,  I 

1  The  future  War  Governor  of  Illinois  was  at  this  time  run 
ning  for  Congress,  and  Lincoln  was  stumping  for  him.  Original 
owned  by  Governor  Edward  F.  Dunne,  of  Illinois. 


52      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

learned  that  the  English  in  Morgan  county  have 
become  dissatisfied  about  No-Nothingism.  Our 
friends,  however,  think  they  have  got  the  difficulty 
arrested.  Nevertheless,  it  would  be  safe,  I  think, 
to  do  something  on  the  subject  which  you  alone 
can  do. 

The  inclosed  letter,  or  draft  of  a  letter,  I  have 
drawn  up,  of  which  I  think  it  would  be  well  to 
make  several  copies,  and  have  one  placed  in  the 
hand  of  a  safe  friend,  at  each  precinct  where  any 
considerable  number  of  foreign  citizens,  German 
as  well  as  English  vote.  Not  knowing  exactly  where 
a  letter  will  reach  you  soonest,  I  fear  this  can  not  be 
very  promptly  attended  to;  but  if  the  copies  get 
into  the  proper  hands  the  day  before  the  election, 
it  will  be  time  enough. 

The  whole  of  this  is,  of  course,  subject  to  your 
own  judgment. 

LINCOLN. 

To  JACOB  HARDING  l 
CLINTON,  DfiWiTT  Co.,  Nov.  n,  1854. 
J.  HARDING,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir :  I  have  a  suspicion  that  a  whig  has 
been  selected  to  the  Legislature  from  Edgar.  If 
this  is  not  so,  why  then  "nix  cum  arous"  but  if  it 
is  so  then  could  you  not  make  a  mark  with  him  for 

1  At  Paris,  111.  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 


To  Orville  H.  Browning          53 

me  for  U.S.  Senator?  I  really  have  some  chance. 
Please  write  me  at  Springfield,  giving  me  the  names, 
post  offices  and  political  positions,  of  your  repre 
sentative  and  senator  whoever  they  may  be. 
Let  this  be  confidential. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  ORVILLE  H.  BROWNING 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  12,  1854. 

Dear  Browning :  At  daylight  this  morning  after 
the  election,  I  had  to  go  to  court  at  Dewitt  county, 
and  I  then  had  nothing  of  any  account  to  write 
you.  On  my  return  last  night,  I  found  your  letter. 
Yates  is  beaten  from  100  to  150.  The  whole  thing 
was  done  in  Morgan  and  Scott  counties ;  in  all  the 
rest  of  the  District  we  did  better  than  we  expected. 
The  quarrel  over  the  Insane  Asylum  and  the  turn 
ing  of  about  200  English  whigs  in  the  two  counties 
against  him,  because  of  Know-Nothingism  was 
what  did  the  work  for  him.  He  now  has  in  the  two 
counties  only  about  100  majority,  whereas  two 
years  ago  he  had  521. 

We  now  understand  here  that  Mr.  Williams  is 
beaten  also.  Schuyler  and  Brown  are  said  to  have 
played  thunder. 

It  looks  as  if  Anti-Nebraska  will  have  the  H.R., 
the  senate  doubtful.  By  the  returns  in,  Miller 


54      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

appears  to  have  beaten  Moore  for  Treasurer.  The 
only  thing  that  throws  doubt  upon  this  is,  that 
there  is  not  much  in  from  the  South  yet ;  and  among 
the  little  that  is  in,  there  are  some  favorable  signs 
to  Moore.  For  instance,  in  Green,  Hains  beats 
Yates  over  400  while  Moore  beats  Miller  over 
900.  Also  in  St.  Clair  Moore  has  over  900  ma 
jority,  while  on  the  contrary  Trumbull  and  Anti- 
Nebraska  generally  have  about  900  majority. 

In  all  other  places  heard  from  Moore  is  getting 
along  about  like  Nebraska.  From  what  I  see  I 
think  he  must  be  beaten  an  average  of  2500  in 
each  of  four  Northern  Congressional  Districts. 
Washburn,1  Woodworth,  Norton  and  Knox  are 
certainly  elected.  It  is  believed  Norton  has  a  ma 
jority  in  every  county  of  his  District  —  in  Ver- 
million  alone  1120.  Trumbull's  election  is  sure 
by  a  very  large  majority.  The  Democrats  here 
claim  that  Allen  is  reflected ;  and  I  fear  it  is  so, 
though  it  is  not  quite  certain.  In  the  four  North 
ern  counties,  old  Col.  Archer  gains  over  400  on 
him ;  and  I  can  hear  nothing  from  any  other  county, 
though  it  is  probable  that  the  dems.  have  some 
thing. 

I  believe  this  is  all  I  know. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Elihu  B.  Washburne,  who,  unlike  his  brothers,  spelled  his 
name  with  an  t. 


To  Henry  E.  Dummer  55 

To  LEONARD  SWETT  1 

SPRINGFIELD  Dec.  17,  1854. 

L.  SWETT,  ESQ., 

Dear  Sir :  I  cannot  learn  of  a  single  copy  of  the 
Revised  Codes  being  here  for  sale.  Sorry  but  it 
seems  to  be  so. 

Does  the  Rev.  John  S.  Barger  occasionally  cross 
your  path  ? 

Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER 

SPRINGFIELD,  March  10,  1855. 
H.  E.  DUMMER,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir :  A  firm  of  lawyers  in  New  York 
have  sent  me  a  money  bond  of  $2000.  for  collec 
tion.3  Both  the  parties  to  the  bond  reside  in  New 
York  but  the  obligor  has  a  farm  of  330  acres  within 
about  a  mile  of  Rushville  in  Schuyler  county,  out 
of  which  by  an  attachment  sent  the  obligor  wishes 
collection  to  be  made.  As  I  do  not  practice  in 
Rushville,  I  have  concluded  to  send  you  this  job, 
if  you  will  write  me  saying  you  will  take  it.  What 

1  A  distinguished  trial  lawyer  of  Illinois. 

J  See  letter  of  the  same  date  to  Sanford,  Porter  &  Striker,  the 
law  firm  referred  to,  in  Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay,  Tandy's  ed., 
1905,  n,  278. 


56      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

say  you?    The  attorneys  who  send  me  the  claim 
say  their  client  is  a  good  responsible  man. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER 

SPRINGFIELD  March  19,  1855. 

Dear  Dummer:  Yours  of  the  I  Ith  is  just  received. 
Herewith  are  the  bond  and  both  of  the  letters  of 
my  correspondents  in  relation  to  it.  The  letters 
contain  all  the  information  I  have  on  the  subject. 
I  wrote  them  the  same  day  I  wrote  you  that  I 
was  going  to  send  you  the  claim  if  you  would 
take  it. 

Logan  is  willing  to  take  the  vacant  seat  on  the 
Supreme  Bench,  but  he  is  very  anxious  to  not  be 
beaten,  if  he  is  put  on  the  track  as  a  candidate. 
Our  friends  here,  and  everywhere  so  far  as  I  have 
heard,  are  for  him;  but  it  behooves  us  to  be  wide 
awake.  At  the  last  congressional  election  there 
was  a  small  majority  against  us  in  the  middle 
Division.  I  am  quite  anxious  for  Logan's  election, 
first  because  he  will  make  the  best  Judge,  and 
second  because  it  would  hurt  his  feelings  to  be 
beaten  more  than  it  would  almost  any  one  else. 
Your  friend  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  Jacob  Harding  57 

To  JACOB  HARDING  1 

DANVILLE  May  25,  1855. 

Friend  Harding:  I  have  been  reading  your  paper 
three  or  four  years,  and  have  paid  you  nothing  for 
it.  Herewith  is  a  receipt  of  Sylvanus  Sandford 
for  two  claims  amounting  to  ten  dollars.  If  he 
has  collected  the  money,  get  it  from  him,  and 
put  it  into  your  pocket,  saying  nothing  further 
about  it. 

And  now,  if  you  please,  I  should  be  glad  for  you 
to  put  in  your  paper  of  this  week  the  names  of 
Stephen  T.  Logan  as  a  candidate  for  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court;  and  of  Stephen  A.  Corneau,  for 
clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Please  also  print,  and  distribute  a  suitable  num 
ber  of  tickets  for  them;  and  we  at  Springfield  will 
pay  the  reasonable  charge. 

As  the  sir-name  [sic]  of  our  candidate  for  clerk 
is  rather  an  uncommon  one,  I  try  to  write  it  very 
plainly  —  Corneau,  the  last  letter  being,  not  an 
"N"butanU. 

Very  truly  yours, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 


$8      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  P.  H.  WATSON  ' 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  July  23,  1855. 

P.  H.  WATSON,  ESQ., 

Washington,  D.C., 

My  dear  Sir:  At  our  interview  here  in  June,  I 
understood  you  to  say  you  would  send  me  copies 
of  the  Bill  and  Answer  in  the  case  of  McCormick 2 
vs.  Manny3  and  Co.  and  also  of  depositions,  as 
fast  as  they  could  be  taken  and  printed.  I  have 
had  nothing  from  you  since.  However,  I  attended 
the  U.S.  Court  at  Chicago,  and  while  there,  got 
copies  of  the  Bill  and  Answer.  I  write  this  particu 
larly  to  urge  you  to  forward  on  to  me  the  addi 
tional  evidence  as  fast  as  you  can.  During  August, 
and  the  remainder  of  this  month,  I  can  devote 
some  time  to  the  case,  and,  of  course,  I  want  all 
the  material  that  can  be  had. 

During  my  stay  at  Chicago,  I  went  out  to  Rock- 
ford,  and  spent  half  a  day,  examining  and  studying 
Manny's  Machine. 

I  think  you  ought  to  be  sworn  before  the  evi- 

1  A  prominent  patent  lawyer,  afterwards  Assistant  Secretary 
of  War  under  Lincoln  and  Stanton.  Edwin  M.  Stanton  was  also 
associated  with  Lincoln  in  the  defense  of  the  case  referred  to  in 
this  letter,  while  Reverdy  Johnson  and  E.  N.  Dickinson  acted  for 
the  plaintiff.  The  defense  won  the  case.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
Lincoln's  acquaintance  with  Stanton.  Original  owned  by  Mr.  J. 
L.  Smith,  Ashtabula,  O. 

a  Cyrus  H.  McCormick. 

3  John  H.  Manny,  of  Rockford,  111. 


To  Owen  Lovejoy  59 

dence  closes :  of  this  however  I  leave  you  and  others 
to  judge.        Very  truly  Yours, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  OWEN  LOVEJOY 

SPRINGFIELD,  August  n,  1855. 

MR.  OWEN  LOVEJOY, 

My  dear  Sir :  Yours  of  the  7th.  was  received  the 
day  before  yesterday.  Not  even  you  are  more 
anxious  to  prevent  the  extension  of  slavery  than  I. 
And  yet  the  political  atmosphere  is  such,  just  now, 
that  I  fear  to  do  anything,  lest  I  do  wrong.  Know 
Nothingism  has  not  yet  entirely  tumbled  to  pieces. 
Nay,  it  is  even  a  little  encouraged  by  the  late  elec 
tions  in  Tennessee,  Kentucky  and  Alabama.  Until 
we  can  get  the  elements  of  this  organization  there 
is  not  sufficient  material  to  successfully  combat  the 
Nebraska  democracy  with.  We  cannot  get  them 
so  long  as  they  cling  to  a  hope  of  success  under 
their  own  organization;  and  I  fear  an  open  push 
by  us  now  may  offend  them  and  tend  to  prevent 
our  ever  getting  them.  About  us  here,  they  are 
mostly  my  old  political  and  personal  friends,  and 
I  have  hoped  this  organization  would  die  out  with 
out  the  painful  necessity  of  my  taking  an  open 
stand  against  them.  Of  their  principles  I  think 
little  better  than  I  do  of  those  of  the  slavery  ex- 
tensionists.  Indeed  I  do  not  perceive  how  any 


60      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

one  professing  to  be  sensitive  to  the  wrongs  of  the 
negro,  can  join  in  a  league  to  degrade  a  class  of 
white  men.  I  have  no  objection  to  "fuse"  with 
any  body  provided  I  can  fuse  on  grounds  which  I 
think  right.  And  I  believe  the  opponents  of  slav 
ery  extension  could  now  do  this  if  it  were  not  for 
the  K.N.ism.  In  many  speeches  last  summer  I  ad 
vised  those  who  did  me  the  honor  of  a  hearing  to 
"stand  with"  any  body  who  stands  right,  and  I 
am  still  quite  willing  to  follow  my  own  advice.  I 
lately  saw  in  the  Quincy  Whig  the  report  of  a 
preamble  and  resolution  made  by  Mr.  Williams,  as 
chairman  of  a  committee,  to  a  public  meeting  and 
adopted  by  the  meeting.  I  saw  them  but  once,  and 
have  them  not  now  at  command,  but  so  far  as  I 
can  remember  them  they  occupy  the  ground  I 
should  be  willing  to  "fuse"  upon.  As  to  my  per 
sonal  movements  this  summer  and  fall,  I  am  quite 
busy  trying  to  pick  up  my  lost  crumbs  of  last 
year.  I  shall  be  here  till  September;  then  with 
Circuit  till  the  2Oth,  then  to  Cincinnati  awhile, 
after  a  Patent  Right  case,  and  back  to  the  Cir 
cuit  to  the  end  of  November.  I  can  be  seen  here 
any  time  this  month  and  at  Bloomington  at  any 
time  from  the  loth,  to  the  lyth.  of  September.  As 
to  an  extra  session  of  the  Legislature,  I  should 
know  no  better  how  to  bring  that  about  than  to 
lift  myself  over  a  fence  by  the  straps  of  my  boots. 
Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 


To  Isham  Reavis  61 

To  MANNY  &  Co.1 

SPRINGFIELD,  Sept.  i,  1855. 

MESSRS.  MANNY  AND  Co. 

Rockford,  III. 

Since  I  left  Chicago  about  the  i8th  of  July,  I 
have  heard  nothing  concerning  the  Reaper  suit.  I 
addressed  a  letter  to  Mr.  Watson,  at  Washington, 
requesting  him  to  forward  me  the  evidence,  from 
time  to  time,  as  it  should  be  taken,  but  I  have  re 
ceived  no  answer  from  him. 

Is  it  still  the  understanding  that  the  case  is  to 
be  heard  at  Cincinnati  on  the  2oth  inst.  ? 
Please  write  me  on  the  receipt  of  this. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  ISHAM  REAVIS  2 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov'r  5,  1855. 
ISHAM  REAVIS,  ESQ. 

My  Dear  Sir :  I  have  just  reached  home,  and 
found  your  letter  of  the  23rd  ult.  I  am  from  home 
too  much  of  my  time,  for  a  young  man  to  read  law 
with  me  advantageously.  If  you  are  resolutely 
determined  to  make  a  lawyer  of  yourself,  the 

1  See  note  on  p.  58.  Original  owned  by  Mr.  J.  L.  Smith,  Ashta- 
bula,  O. 

2  From  a  copy  in  the  possession  of  the  Chicago  Historical 
Society. 


62      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

thing  is  more  than  half  done  already.  It  is  but  a 
small  matter  whether  you  read  with  any  body  or 
not.  I  did  not  read  with  any  one.  Get  the  books, 
and  read  and  study  them  till  you  understand  them 
in  their  principal  features;  and  that  is  the  main 
thing.  It  is  of  no  consequence  to  be  in  a  large  town 
while  you  are  reading.  I  read  at  New  Salem,  which 
never  had  three  hundred  people  living  in  it.  The 
books,  and  your  capacity  for  understanding  them, 
are  just  the  same  in  all  places.  Mr.  Dummer  is  a 
very  clever  man  and  an  excellent  lawyer  (much  bet 
ter  than  I,  in  law-learning) ;  and  I  have  no  doubt 
he  will  cheerfully  tell  you  what  books  to  read,  and 
also  loan  you  the  books. 

Always  bear  in  mind  that  your  own  resolution 
to  succeed,  is  more  important  than  any  other  one 
thing.  Very  truly  your  friend, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  A.  L.  BREWER 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Nov  5,  1855. 

A.  L.  BREWER,  ESQ. 

Would  have  answered  sooner,  but  was  absent.  At 
the  September  term,  the  defendant  made  fight,  with 
apparent  confidence,  but  the  court  decided  for  us, 
and  we  got  judgement  for  the  amount  of  the  old 
judgement  and  interest.  The  main  point  taken  in 
defence  was  that  a  bar  on  a  short  Act  of  Limitations 


To  G.  U.  Miles  63 

we  have  here,  had  been  completed  after  the  claim 
was  filed,  in  the  Probate  Court,  but  before  a  formal 
suit  was  brought.  The  court  held  that  the  filing  of 
the  claim  saved  the  statute's  bar.  They  took  excep 
tions  and  talk  of  going  to  the  supreme  court.  That 
court  sits  in  January  and  I  have  thought  it  best  to 
wait  till  after  the  first  term  before  I  begin  to  press 
for  payment. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  G.  U.  MILES  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Feb.  14,  1856 

G.  U.  MILES,  ESQ. 

Petersburg,  Ills. 

Dear  sir :  Major  Harris  left  a  letter  with  me,  in 
order  that  I  might  do  something  for  you,  in  regard 
to  your  Goodman,  or  McAtee  land.  I  understand 
the  facts  of  the  case  to  be  as  follows  — 

Dec.  25, 1840.  Christian  Goodman  gave  his  note 
and  a  mortgage  on  this  land  (S.  E.  fr.  1/4  of  Sec: 
22-17-1)  to  William  W.  Vigal,  to  secure  $112  with 
twelve  per  cent. 

Jany.  7,  1842.  Note  credited  £50. 

Jany.  7, 1842.  Note  assigned  by  Vigal  to  Thomas 
Lewis. 

Aug.  20,  1842.  Note  assigned  by  Lewis  to  F.  T. 
King. 

1  Son-in-law  of  William  H.  Herndon,  Lincoln's  partner. 


64      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Jany.  2, 1843.  Note  assigned  by  King  to  Webster 
and  Hickox. 

In  1850  or  1851  I  commenced  a  foreclosure  suit 
on  the  note  and  mortgage,  in  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Sangamon  county,  for  Webster  and  Hickox. 

While  this  suit  was  pending,  Goodman  sold  the 
land  to  McAtee,  and  Webster  and  Hickox  also  sold 
the  note  and  mortgage  to  McAtee ;  and  Mr.  Hickox 
directed  me  to  do  no  more  with  the  suit  for  him  and 
Webster,  but  to  hold  it  up  subject  to  the  direction 
of  McAtee.  So  the  suit  has  stood  ever  since,  and 
still  stands. 

I  now  learn  from  Major  Harris'  letter  that  Mc 
Atee  died,  and  that  the  land  has  since  been  sold 
(by  the  administrator  of  McAtee,  to  pay  debts)  to 
John  Baker;  and  that  Baker  has  since  sold  to  you. 
The  reason  I  write  you  is,  that  I  cannot  understand 
from  the  Major's  letter  precisely  what  your  diffi 
culty  is.  He  tells  me  that  McAtee  bought  the  land 
of  Goodman ;  and  if  this  is  so,  and  Goodman  deeded 
it  to  him,  I  do  not  perceive  that  you  are  in  any 
difficulty  at  all.  Did  McAtee  pay  Goodman  for  the 
land?  Did  Goodman  deed  it  to  McAtee?  If  either 
of  them  is  true,  Goodman's  heirs  have  no  right  to 
the  land,  though  his  widow  would  have  dower,  if 
she  did  not  join  in  the  deed.  Please  write  me;  and 
return  me  this  letter,  as  it  will  save  me  hunting  up 
the  facts  again.  Yours  &c, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  Gustave  Koerner  65 

To  G.  U.  MILES 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Feby  17,  1856. 

G.  U.  MILES  — 

But,  my  dear  Sir,  I  understand  the  land  is  worth 
$1200  or  $1500.  Now  deduct  credit,  and  count  in 
terest  on  the  note  and  you  will  find  that  $203.41  is 
the  utmost  a  decree  could  be  rendered  for  up  to 
Jany  7,  1856. 

Suppose  I  foreclose,  you  will  bid  the  same;  if 
nobody  bids  more  all  will  be  well;  but  somebody 
will  bid  more ;  and  then  how  will  you  stand  ? 

You  will  have  to  let  the  land  go  for  that  sum;  or 
bid  higher  and  advance  the  cash  for  all  above  that 
sum.  Don't  you  see? 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  GUSTAVE  KOERNER  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  Feb.  18,  1856. 
HON.  G.  P.  KOERNER. 

My  dear  sir :  You  left  here  sooner  than  I  ex 
pected;  else  I  should  have  asked  you  on  what 
terms  you  settled  your  fee  in  the  case  in  connection 
with  which  we  met  at  Carlinville  last  fall.  I  think 
you  said  you  had  no  objection  to  tell  me.  If  you 
have  not  please  write  me  at  once,  as  I  wish  to 
regulate  my  claim  somewhat  by  yours. 

Very  truly  yours,  A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Illinois. 


66      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


To  GEORGE  P.  FLOYD  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLINOIS, 
February  21,  1856. 

MR.  GEORGE  P.  FLOYD, 

Quincy,  Illinois. 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  just  received  yours  of  i6th, with 
check  on  Flagg  &  Savage  for  twenty-five  dollars. 
You  must  think  I  am  a  high-priced  man.  You  are 
too  liberal  with  your  money. 

Fifteen  dollars  is  enough  for  the  job.  I  send  you 
a  receipt  for  fifteen  dollars,  and  return  to  you  a 
ten-dollar  bill. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  2 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  7,  1856 

HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir :  The  news  of  Buchanan's  nomina 
tion  came  yesterday;  and  a  good  many  Whigs,  of 
conservative  feelings,  and  slight  pro-slavery  pro- 

1  Mr.  Floyd  had  leased  a  hotel  at  Quincy,  111.,  and   had  em 
ployed  Lincoln  to  draw  up  the  papers.    Reprinted  from  an  ar 
ticle  by  Floyd  in  McCluris  Magazine,  xxx,  303  (Jan.,  1908). 

2  This  and  the  letters  on  pp.  69,  82,  83,  87,  96,  98,  100,  119, 
122,  136,  137,  140,  142,  144,  147,  151,  153,  168,  171,  and  173 
are  from   an   article  entitled  "A  Lincoln  Correspondence,"  by 
William  H.  Lambert,  in   the  Century  Magazine,  iv,  17  (Feb., 
1909). 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  67 

divides,  withal,  are  inclining  to  go  for  him,  and 
will  do  it,  unless  the  Anti-Nebraska  nomination 
shall  be  such  as  to  divert  them.  The  man  to  effect 
that  object  is  Judge  McLean;  and  his  nomination 
would  save  every  Whig,  except  such  as  have  al 
ready  gone  over  hook  and  line,  as  Singleton,  Mor 
rison,  Constable,  &  others.  J.  T.  Stuart,  Anthony 
Thornton,  James  M.  Davis  (the  old  settler)  and 
others  like  them,  will  heartily  go  for  McLean,  but 
will  every  one  go  for  Buchanan,  as  against  Chase, 
Banks,  Seward,  Blair  or  Fremont?  I  think  they 
would  stand  Blair  or  Fremont  for  Vice-President  — 
but  not  more. 

Now  there  is  a  grave  question  to  be  considered. 
Nine  tenths  of  the  Anti-Nebraska  votes  have  to 
come  from  old  Whigs.  In  setting  stakes,  is  it  safe  to 
totally  disregard  them  ?  Can  we  possibly  win,  if  we 
do  so?  So  far  they  have  been  disregarded.  I  need 
not  point  out  the  instances. 

I  think  I  may  trust  you  to  believe  I  do  not  say 
this  on  my  own  personal  account.  I  am  in,  and 
shall  go  for  any  one  nominated  unless  he  be  "plat- 
formed  "  expressly,  or  impliedly,  on  some  ground 
which  I  may  think  wrong.  Since  the  nomination  of 
Bissell  we  are  in  good  trim  in  Illinois,  save  at  the 
point  I  have  indicated.  If  we  can  save  pretty 
nearly  all  the  Whigs,  we  shall  elect  him,  I  think,  by 
a  very  large  majority. 

I  address  this  to  you,  because  your  influence  in 


68      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

the  Anti-Nebraska  nomination  will  be  greater  than 
that  of  any  other  Illinoian  [sic]. 
Let  this  be  confidential, 

.Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  B.  CLARKE  LUNDY  AND  OTHERS  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  July  28,  1856. 

B.  CLARKE  LUNDY  &  OTHERS: 

On  reaching  home  day  before  yesterday,  I  found 
your  letter  of  the  isth.  I  regret  to  say  I  can  not  be 
with  you  on  the  4th  of  Sept.  I  am  under  prior  obli 
gation  to  attend  a  meeting  of  our  friends  at  Gales- 
burg  on  that  day,  if  I  can  possibly  leave  our 
courts,  which  will  then  be  in  session. 

Stand  by  the  cause,  and  the  cause  will  carry  you 
through. 

Yours  truly,          A.  LINCOLN. 

To  JOHN  M.  PALMER  2 

SPRINGFIELD  Aug  Ist,  1856. 

HON.  J.  M.  PALMER. 

Dear  sir:  It  is  our  judgement  that  whether  you 
do  or  do  not  finally  stand  as  a  Candidate  for  Con- 

1  Dr.  B.  C.  Lundy  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  Lundy,  the  Aboli 
tionist,  of  Baltimore. 

2  A  major-general  of  volunteers  in  the  War  and  Governor  of 
Illinois,  1869-73. 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  69 

gress,  it  is  better  for  you  to  not  to  publicly  decline 
for  a  while.  It  is  a  long  time  to  the  Election,  and 
what  may  turn  up  no  one  can  tell. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 
RICHARD  YATES 
W.  H.  HERNDON 
WM.  JAYNE 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Aug:  n.  1856 

HON:  L.  TRUMBULL: 

My  dear  Sir:  I  have  just  returned  from  speaking 
at  Paris  and  Grandview  in  Edgar  County — & 
Charleston  and  Shelbyville,  in  Coles  and  Shelby 
counties.  Our  whole  trouble  along  there  has  been 
&  is  Fillmoreism.  It  loosened  considerably  during 
the  week,  not  under  my  preaching,  but  under  the 
election  returns  from  Mo.,  Ky.,  Ark.,  &  N.C.  I 
think  we  shall  ultimately  get  all  the  Fillmore  men, 
who  are  really  anti-slavery  extension  —  the  rest 
will  probably  go  to  Buchanan  where  they  right 
fully  belong;  if  they  do  not,  so  much  the  better 
for  us.  The  great  difficulty  with  anti-slavery 
extension  Fillmore  men,  is  that  they  suppose 
Fillmore  as  good  as  Fremont  on  that  question; 
and  it  is  a  delicate  point  to  argue  them  out  of 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


70      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

it,  they  are  so  ready  to  think  you  are  abusing 
Mr.  Fillmore. 

Mr.  Conkling  showed  me  a  letter  of  yours,  from 
which  I  infer  you  will  not  be  in  Ills,  till  nth  Sept. 

But  for  that  I  was  going  to  write  you  to  make 
appointments  at  Paris,  Charleston,  Shelbyville, 
Hillsboro,  &c  —  immediately  after  the  adjourn 
ment.  They  were  tolerably  well  satisfied  with  my 
work  along  there;  but  they  believe  with  me,  that 
you  can  touch  some  points  that  I  can  not ;  and  they 
are  very  anxious  to  have  you  do  it. 

Yours  as  ever  A.  LINCOLN. 


To  R.  M.  EWING 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  12,  1856 

R.  M.  EWING,  ESQ. 

Petersburg,  Ills. 

Dear  Sir :  Yours  of  the  8th  inclosing  the  forged 
article  from  the  "New  York  Tribune"  published 
in  the  Menard  Index  was  received  yesterday.  Al 
though  the  getting  up  of  the  thing  was  intended  to 
deceive,  and  was  very  malicious  and  wicked,  I  do 
not  think  much  could  be  made  by  exposing  it. 
When  you  shall  have  exposed  it,  they  will  then  say 
they  merely  meant  it  as  a  "take  off"  and  never 
intended  it  to  be  understood  as  genuine. 

If  you  have  a  local  paper  there  to  simply  de 
nounce  it  as  a  forgery,  that  would  be  well  enough ; 


To  Rev.  James  Lemen  71 

but  I  doubt  whether  any  thing  else  can  be  done 
with  it  to  advantage. 

I  am  truly  glad  you  are  determined  to  fight  on. 
In  the  next  struggle  I  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  pull 
together.  Let  us  all  try  to  make  it  so. 

Yours  respectfully,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  REV.  JAMES  LEMEN  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLINOIS  March  2,  1857. 

REV.  JAMES  LEMEN, 

>  Friend  Lemen :  Thanking  you  for  your  warm  ap 
preciation  of  my  view  in  a  former  letter  as  to  the 
importance  in  many  features  of  your  collection  of 
old  family  notes  and  papers,  I  will  add  a  few  words 
more  as  to  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy's  case.  His  letters 
among  your  old  family  notes  were  of  more  interest 
to  me  than  even  those  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  written 
to  your  father.  Of  course  they  [the  latter]  were 
exceedingly  important  as  a  part  of  the  history  of 
the  "  Jefferson-Lemen  Anti-Slavery  Pact,"  under 
which  your  father,  Rev.  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  as  Jef 
ferson's  anti-slavery  agent  in  Illinois,  founded  his 
anti-slavery  churches,  among  which  was  the  pres 
ent  Bethel  church,  which  set  in  motion  the  forces 
which  finally  made  Illinois  a  free  state,  all  of  which 
was  splendid;  but  Lovejoy's  tragic  death  for  free 
dom  in  every  sense  marked  his  sad  ending  as  the 

8  From  W.  C.  MacNaul's  Jefferson-Lemen  Compait,  1915. 


72      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

most  important  single  event  that  ever  happened  in 
the  new  world. 

Both  your  father  and  Lovejoy  were  pioneer 
leaders  in  the  cause  of  freedom,  and  it  has  always 
been  difficult  for  me  to  see  why  your  father,  who 
was  a  resolute,  uncompromising,  and  aggressive 
leader,  who  boldly  proclaimed  his  purpose  to  make 
both  the  territory  and  the  state  free,  never  aroused 
nor  encountered  any  of  that  mob  violence  which 
both  in  St.  Louis  and  Alton  confronted  or  pursued 
Lovejoy,  and  finally  doomed  him  to  a  felon's  death 
and  a  martyr's  crown.  Perhaps  the  two  cases  are  a 
little  parallel  with  those  of  John  and  Peter.  John 
was  bold  and  fearless  at  the  scene  of  the  Crucifix 
ion,  standing  near  the  cross  receiving  the  Savior's 
request  tocareforhis  mother, butwas  not  annoyed ; 
while  Peter,  whose  disposition  [was]  to  shrink  from 
public  view,  seemed  to  catch  the  attention  of 
members  of  the  mob  on  every  hand,  until  finally  to 
throw  public  attention  off,  he  denied  his  master 
with  an  oath;  though  later  the  grand  old  apostle 
redeemed  himself  grandly,  and  like  Lovejoy,  died  a 
martyr  to  his  faith.  Of  course,  there  was  no  similar 
ity  between  Peter's  treachery  at  the  Temple  and 
Lovejoy's  splendid  courage  when  the  pitiless  mob 
were  closing  around  him.  But  in  the  cases  of  the 
two  apostles  at  the  scene  mentioned,  John  was  more 
prominent  or  loyal  in  his  presence  and  attention  to 
the  Great  Master  than  Peter  was,  but  the  latter 


To  Jesse  K.  Dubois  73 

seemed  to  catch  the  attention  of  the  mob ;  and  as 
Lovejoy,  one  of  the  most  inoffensive  of  men,  for 
merely  printing  a  small  paper,  devoted  to  the  free 
dom  of  the  body  and  mind  of  man,  was  pursued  to 
his  death ;  while  his  older  comrade  in  the  cause  of 
freedom,  Rev.  James  Lemen,  Sr.,  who  boldly  and 
aggressively  proclaimed  his  purpose  to  make  both 
the  territory  and  the  state  free,  was  never  molested 
a  moment  by  the  minions  of  violence.  The  madness 
and  pitiless  determination  with  which  the  mob 
steadily  pursued  Lovejoy  to  his  doom,  marks  it  as 
one  of  the  most  unreasoning  and  unreasonable  in 
all  time,  except  that  which  doomed  the  Savior  to 
the  cross. 

If  ever  you  should  come  to  Springfield  again,  do 
not  fail  to  call.  The  memory  of  our  many  "  evening 
sittings"  here  and  elsewhere,  as  we  called  them, 
suggests  many  a  pleasant  hour,  both  pleasant  and 
helpful. 

Truly  yours,         A.  LINCOLN. 


To  JESSE  K.  DUBOIS  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  April  6,  1857. 

HON.  J.  K.  DUBOIS, 

Auditor 

Dear  Sir:  —  In  answer  to  your  queries  in  rela 
tion  to  the  fourth,  eighth  and  ninth  sections  of  the 

1  Illinois  Auditor  of  State. 


74      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

bank  law  of  February  14, 1857,  and  the  other  provi 
sions  of  law  therein  referred  to,  I  give  as  my  opin 
ion,  First :  That  no  stocks  whatever  can  be  received 
by  you  at  any  greater  rate  of  valuation  than  ten 
per  cent  less  than  the  market  price  of  said  stocks, 
such  market  price  to  be  ascertained,  according  to 
the  old  law. 

Second :  That  no  non-interest  paying  bonds  can, 
in  any  event,  be  received  by  you  at  any  greater 
rate  than  fifty  cents  to  the  dollar  and  not  even  for 
that  much,  unless  that  market  price  shall  be  as  high 
as  sixty,  the  old  law  not  being  altered  by  the  new, 
in  this  respect. 

Third :  That  in  relation  to  the  banks  already  in 
existence  no  new  duty  is  imposed  on  you  by  the 
eighth  section  of  the  new  law,  unless  such  banks 
apply  for  the  issuing  of  new  circulating  notes,  in  which 
case,  it  is  your  duty  to  be  satisfied  that  they  have 
the  fifty  thousand  dollars  actual  cash  capital,  be 
fore  you  issue  such  new  notes. 

Note.  As  to  the  old  law,  I  would  follow  [?]  the 
construction  of  the  old  Auditor,  till  further  advised. 

Fourth:  That  in  relation,  both  to  old  and  new 
banks,  in  the  very  language  of  the  ninth  sec 
tion  of  the  new  law  "No  more  circulating  notes 
shall  be  issued,  under  any  circumstances  to  any 
bank  or  association  organized  under  said  act  until 
the  Auditor  shall  be  satisfied  that  such  bank  or 
association  has  such  actual  capital  as  is  required 


To  Joseph  W.  Brackett  75 

in  the  first"  (eighth  really  meant)  "section  of  this 


act/3 


This  opinion  is  given  as  to  your  duty  under  the 
new  law  after  it  takes  effect,  and  is  not  intended 
to  apply  to  the  time  of  between  passage  and  its 
taking  effect. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  JOSEPH  W.  BRACKETT  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  May  18,  1857. 

JOSEPH  W.  BRACKETT,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir :  Your  three  letters,  two  dated  April 
28th  and  the  other  May  ist  were  received  by  me 
on  the  9th  of  May,  when  I  returned  home  after 
an  absence  of  two  weeks.  I  went  immediately  to 
the  Land  Office  to  file  the  Declaration  of  Jacob 
Warner  and  Cyrus  Conklin  and  failed  to  get  the 
thing  consummated  in  consequence  of  there  being 
nothing  in  the  Office  showing  the  quantity  of  land 
in  the  tracts  sought  to  be  preempted.  I  think  the 
Register's  intentions  were  correct,  but  he  was  per 
plexed  as  to  what  he  ought  to  do,  because  of  the 
peculiarity  of  the  case  and  consequently  he  put 
me  off  from  time  to  time  till  now.  Herewith  I  send 
you  the  certificates  bearing  date  May  9th,  being 
the  day  I  first  presented  the  Declarations. 

1  At  Rock  Island,  111. 


76      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

I  shall  be  ready  to  assist  further  in  the  cases 
when  occasion  arises.  One  of  your  letters  had  one 
dollar  in  it,  and  another  ten.    I  paid  two  to  the 
Register  and  pocketed  the  other  nine. 
Yours,  etc. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  CORNELL,  WAITE  fcf  JAMESON 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  2,  1857. 

MESSRS.  CORNELL,  WAITE  &  JAMESON, 
Chicago,  III. 

Gentlemen :  Yours  of  the  2gth  was  duly  received. 
This  morning  I  went  to  the  Register  with  four 
hundred  dollars  in  gold  in  my  hand  and  tendered 
to  the  Register  of  the  Land  Office  a  written  appli 
cation  to  enter  the  land  as  you  requested,  all  which 
the  Register  declined. 

I  have  made  a  written  memorandum  of  the  facts, 
deposited  the  gold  with  J.  Bunn  (who  furnished  it 
to  me  on  the  draft  you  sent)  and  took  his  Certifi 
cate  of  deposit,  which  certificate  and  memoran 
dum  I  hold  subject  to  your  order. 

Now,  if  you  please,  send  me  ten  dollars  as  a 
fee. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  Gustave  Koerner  77 

To  GUSTAVE  KOERNER 

SPRINGFIELD,  July  10,  1857. 

HON.  G.  KOERNER. 

Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  the  8th  to  Lincoln  and 
Herndon  was  received  and  opened  by  Mr.  Hern- 
don  in  my  absence;  but  finding  it  relating  to  busi 
ness  with  which  I  was  more  familiar  he  laid  it  by 
till  my  return  which  was  only  yesterday.  «* 

The  judgement  to  Page  and  Bacon  against  the 
Ohio  and  Miss.  Railroad  Company  in  the  United 
States  court  here,  was  taken,  by  confession  on  a 
cognovit,  at  the  March  term,  1856,  for  the  sum 
of  $312,413.74  including  costs.  Execution  issued 
April  i6th,  1856,  which  was  by  order  of  the  plain 
tiffs  returned  unsatisfied,  sale  having  been  post 
poned  June  6,  1856.  While  it  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  Marshal  it  was  levied  on  the  entire  property 
of  the  Road  (as  I  suppose,  a  large  amount  at  any 
rate)  which  levy  remains  undisposed  of. 

Will  you  please  remember  that  our  Sangamon 
Circuit  Court  commences  Aug.  10,  when  I  suppose 
our  Quo  Warranto  cases  will  come  up,  and  when 
I  shall  be  glad  to  have  the  benefit  of  your  legal  as 
sistance. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


78      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  DR.  B.  CLARKE  LUNDY  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Aug.  5,  1857. 

Dear  Sir :  Some  time  ago  you  wrote  me  express 
ing  the  opinion  that  something  should  be  done 
now,  to  secure  the  next  Legislature.  You  are  per 
fectly  right  and  I  now  suggest  that,  from  the  poll- 
books  in  the  county  clerk's  office,  you  have  made 
alphabetical  lists  of  all  the  voters  in  each  precinct 
or  Township  (I  believe  you  have  Township  or 
ganizations)  the  lists  to  be  in  separate  letter-books, 
and  to  be  corrected  by  striking  off  such  as  may 
have  died  or  removed,  and  adding  such  as  will  be 
entitled  to  vote  at  the  next  election.  This  will  not 
be  a  heavy  job,  and  you  see  how  like  a  map,  it  lays 
the  whole  field  before  you.  You  know,  at  once, 
how,  and  with  whom  to  work. 

You  will  have  no  trouble  to  carry  your  county 
of  Putnam,  but  you  are  (as  I  remember)  part  of  the 
Peoria  Senatorial  District,  and  that  is  close  and 
questionable,  so  that  you  need  every  vote  you  can 
get  in  Putnam. 

Let  all  be  so  quiet  that  the  adversary  shall  not  be 
notified. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Original  owned  by  Charles  W.  McLellan,  Champlain,  N.Y. 


To  Samuel  Briggs  79 


To  HANNAH  ARMSTRONG  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL., 
Sept.,  1857. 

Dear  Mrs.  Armstrong :  I  have  just  heard  of  your 
deep  affliction,  and  the  arrest  of  your  son  for  mur 
der.  I  can  hardly  believe  that  he  can  be  capable 
of  the  crime  alleged  against  him.  It  does  not  seem 
possible.  I  am  anxious  that  he  should  be  given  a 
fair  trial  at  any  rate ;  and  gratitude  for  your  long- 
continued  kindness  to  me  in  adverse  circumstances 
prompts  me  to  offer  my  humble  services  gratui 
tously  in  his  behalf. 

It  will  afford  me  an  opportunity  to  requite,  in  a 
small  degree,  the  favors  I  received  at  your  hand, 
and  that  of  your  lamented  husband,  when  your 
roof  afforded  me  a  grateful  shelter,  without  money 
and  without  price. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  SAMUEL  BRIGGS 

SPRINGFIELD,  Sept.  29,  1857. 

SAMUEL  BRIGGS,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  in  regard  to  organizing 
the  town  of  Delevan,  and  also  inclosing  five  dollars, 

1  Mother  of  Duff  Armstrong,  whom  Lincoln  defended  on  a 
charge  of  murder,  obtaining  a  verdict  of  acquittal. 


8o      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

has  been  received.  I  have  examined  the  statute  and 
considered  your  questions,  and  am  of  opinion  that 
the  original  election,  having  gone  beyond  the  Town 
plot  to  the  extent  of  a  square  mile,  is  lawful  and 
valid.   I  think  the  Trustees  can  not  exceed  a  mile 
square,  as  boundaries  of  the  town,  but  may  lessen 
them,  within  the  mile  square. 
The  five  dollars  is  a  sufficient  fee. 
Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  GUSTAVE  KOERNER 

(Confidential) 

SPRINGFIELD,  Oct.  25,  1857. 
HON.  G.  KOERNER 

My  dear  sir:  Our  Sangamon  Circuit  Court  is 
now  in  session,  and  will  continue  in  session  for  two 
or  three  weeks  yet.  By  agreement  with  Logan, 
I  can  fix  up  your  Quo  Warranto  case,  at  any 
time  during  the  term,  for  the  Supreme  Court  this 
ensuing  winter.  Now  for  the  object  of  this  note. 
I  want  your  authority,  at  my  discretion,  to  pass 
the  case  over  the  next  term  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  I  cannot  mention  the  reason  now ;  but  there 
is  a  reason  which  I  believe  you  will  appreciate, 
when  you  come  to  know  it.  The  reason  is  precisely 
the  same  to  you  and  to  me,  not  being  of  any  pe- 


To  Joseph  W.  Brackett  81 

cuniary  interest  to  either.    I  write  like  letters  to 
Brown  and  Yates.   Please  answer  at  once. 
Yours  very  truly. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  O.  BAILEY 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  14,  1857. 

O.  BAILEY,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir :  Your  letter  in  relation  to  Railroad 
suits  was  duly  received.  I  regret  to  say  it  is  impos 
sible  for  me  to  attend  the  courts  in  Coles  or  Edgar 
or  any  of  the  counties  in  Judge  Harlan's  circuit. 
I  should  be  pleased  to  oblige  you  if  I  could. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  JOSEPH  W.  BRACKETT 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  27,  1857. 

J.  W.  BRACKETT,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir :  Yours  of  the  7th  was  received  in  due 
course.  I  have  been  to  the  Land  Office  two  or  three 
times  about  it  and  for  the  last  time,  this  morn 
ing.  The  Register  will  not  receive  and  file  the  pre 
emption  proofs  as  you  desire.  He  conceives  it  to 
be  his  duty  to  refuse. 

Yours,  &c 

A.  LINCOLN 


82      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

CHICAGO,  Nov.  30.  1857. 

HON:  LYMAN  TRUMBULL. 

Dear  Sir :  Herewith  you  find  duplicates  of  a  no 
tice  which  I  wish  to  be  served  upon  the  Miss 
French,  or  now  Mrs.  Gray,  who  married  the  late 
Franklin  C.  Gray.  You  understand  what  per 
son  I  mean.  Please  hand  her  one  copy,  and  note 
on  the  other  that  you  have  done  so,  the  date  of 
service,  and  your  signature  &  return  it  to  me  at 
Springfield. 

What  think  you  of  the  probable  "rumpus" 
among  the  Democracy  over  the  Kansas  Consti 
tution?  I  think  the  Republicans  should  stand 
clear  of  it.  In  their  view  both  the  President  and 
Douglas  are  wrong;  and  they  should  not  espouse 
the  cause  of  either,  because  they  may  consider  the 
other  a  little  the  farther  wrong  of  the  two.  From 
what  I  am  told  here,  Douglas  tried,  before  leav 
ing,  to  draw  off  some  Republicans  on  this  dodge, 
and  even  succeeded  in  making  some  impression 
on  one  or  two. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  83 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  Dec.  18.  1857 
HON:  L.  TRUMBULL: 

Dear  Sir :  Yours  of  the  7th  telling  me  that  Mrs. 
Gray  is  in  Washington,  reached  [me]  last  night. 

Herewith  I  return  the  notices  which  I  will  thank 
you  to  serve  and  return  as  before  requested. 

This  notice  is  not  required  by  law ;  and  I  am  giv 
ing  it  merely  because  I  think  fairness  requires  it. 

Nearly  all  the  Democrats  here  stick  to  Douglas ; 
but  they  are  hobbling  along  with  the  idea  that 
there  is  no  split  between  him  and  Buchanan. 
Accordingly  they  indulge  the  most  extravagant  eu 
logies  onB.,  &his  message;  and  insist  that  he  has 
not  indorsed  the  Lecompton  Constitution. 

I  wish  not  to  tax  your  time ;  but  when  you  return 
the  notice,  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  your  general  view 
of  the  then  present  aspect  of  affairs. 
Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  2 

BLOOMINGTON,  Dec.  28.  1857. 
HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL. 

Dear  Sir:  What  does  the  "New  York  Tribune" 
mean  by  its  constant  eulogising,  and  admiring, 

1  See  note  on  p.  66.  *  See  note  on  p.  66. 


84      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

and  magnifying  Douglas  ?  Does  it,  in  this,  speak 
the  sentiments  of  the  Republicans  at  Washington  ? 
Have  they  concluded  that  the  Republican  cause, 
generally,  can  be  best  prompted  by  sacrificing  us 
here  in  Illinois?  If  so  we  would  like  to  know  it 
soon;  it  will  save  us  a  great  deal  of  labor  to  sur 
render  at  once. 

As  yet  I  have  heard  of  no  Republican  here  going 
over  to  Douglas;  but  if  the  "Tribune"  continues 
to  din  his  praises  into  the  ears  of  its  five  or  ten  thou 
sand  Republican  readers  in  Illinois,  it  is  more  than 
can  be  hoped  that  all  will  stand  firm. 

I  am  not  complaining  —  I  only  wish  a  fair  un 
derstanding.   Please  write  me  at  Springfield. 
Your  Obt  Servt. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  ANDREW  MCCALLEN 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  19,  1858. 

HON.  A.  MCCALLEN. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  I2th  by  the  hand  of 
Mr.  Edwards  was  duly  received.  I  conversed  sev 
eral  times  freely  with  Mr.  Olney,  and  I  do  not 
perceive  that  we  here  or  the  general  convention 
here  could  rightfully  determine  anything  between 
Messrs.  Olney  and  Wiley.  You  in  the  District  must 
fix  that. 

Let  me  make  a  remark  not  suggested  by  your 


To  Orville  H.  Browning          85 

letter.  I  think  too  much  reliance  is  placed  in 
noisy  demonstrations,  importing  speakers  from  a 
distance  and  the  like.  They  excite  prejudice  and 
close  the  avenues  to  sober  reason.  The  "home- 
production"  principle  in  my  judgement  is  the  best. 
You  and  Sexton  and  Olney  and  others  whose  hearts 
are  in  the  work  should  quietly  form  your  plans 
and  carry  them  out  energetically  among  your  own 
neighbors.  You  perceive  my  idea;  and  I  really 
think  it  the  best. 

Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  ORVILLE  H.  BROWNING 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  22,  1858. 
O.  H.  BROWNING,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  Mrs.  Macready  has  appeared  here 
again  this  morning;  and  it  now  occurs  to  me  as 
strange  that  I  did  not  think  to  ask  you  whether 
you  can  surely  be  on  hand  at  the  next  term,  if  we 
continue  the  case  till  then.  Can  you?  Answer 
as  soon  as  possible  after  receiving  this.  If  you  can 
possibly  be  here  at  this  term  say  so,  and  about 
what  day;  but  I  understood  you  that  probably 
you  cannot  be  here  again  at  this  term. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


86      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  JOHN  L.  SCRIPPS  l 

SPRINGFIELD  June  23,  1858. 
JOHN  L.  SCRIPPS,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir :  Your  kind  note  of  yesterday  is 
duly  received.  I  am  much  flattered  by  the  esti 
mate  you  place  on  my  late  speech;  and  yet  I 
am  much  mortified  that  any  part  of  it  should  be 
construed  so  differently  from  any  thing  intended 
by  me.  The  language,  "place  it  where  the  public 
mind  shall  rest  in  the  belief  that  it  is  in  course 
of  ultimate  extinction/'  I  used  deliberately,  not 
dreaming  then,  nor  believing  now,  that  it  asserts 
or  intimates  any  power  or  purpose,  to  interfere 
with  slavery  in  the  states  where  it  exists.  But  to 
not  cavil  about  language,  I  declare  that  whether 
the  clause  used  by  me  will  bear  such  construction 
or  not,  I  never  so  intended  it.  I  have  declared  a 
thousand  times,  and  now  repeat  that,  in  my  opinion, 
neither  the  General  Government,  nor  any  other^ 
power  outside  of  the  slave  states,  can  constitution 
ally  or  rightfully  interfere  with  slaves  or  slavery 
where  it  already  exists.  I  believe  that  whenever 
the  effort  to  spread  slavery  into  the  new  territories, 
by  whatever  means,  and  into  the  free  states  them 
selves,  by  Supreme  Court  decisions,  shall  be  fairly 
headed  off,  the  institution  will  then  be  in  course  of 

1  A  Chicago  journalist,  author  of  the  first  biography  of  Lin 
coln,  New  York  Tribune  Tracts,  No.  6  (1860). 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  87 

ultimate  extinction;  and  by  the  language  used  I 
meant  only  this. 

I  do  not  intend  this  for  publication;  but  still 
you  may  show  it  to  any  one  you  think  fit.  I  think 
I  shall,  as  you  suggest,  take  some  early  occasion 
to  publicly  repeat  the  declaration  I  have  already 
so  often  made  as  before  stated. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  June  23,  1858 

HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir :  Your  letter  of  the  i6th  reached  me 
only  yesterday.  We  had  already  seen,  by  telegraph, 
a  report  of  Douglas'  general  onslaught  upon  every 
body  but  himself.  I  have  this  morning  seen  the 
"Washington  Union,"  in  which  I  think  the  Judge 
is  rather  worsted  [worried  ?]  in  regard  to  that  on 
slaught. 

In  relation  to  the  charge  of  an  alliance  between 
the  Republicans  and  Buchanan  men  in  this  State, 
if  being  rather  pleased  to  see  a  division  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Democracy,  and  not  doing  anything  to  pre 
vent  it,  be  such  alliance,  then  there  is  such  alliance, 
—  at  least  that  is  true  of  me.  But  if  it  be  intended 
to  charge  that  there  is  any  alliance  by  which  there 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


88      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

is  to  be  any  concession  of  principle  on  either  side, 
or  furnishing  of  the  sinews,  or  partition  of  offices, 
or  swopping  of  votes,  to  any  extent ;  or  the  doing 
of  anything,  great  or  small,  on  the  one  side,  for  a 
consideration,  express  or  implied,  on  the  other,  no 
such  thing  is  true  so  far  as  I  know  or  believe. 

Before  this  reaches  you,  you  will  have  seen  the 
proceedings  of  our  Republican  State  Convention. 
It  was  really  a  grand  affair,  and  was,  in  all  respects, 
all  that  our  friends  could  desire. 

The  resolution  in  effect  nominating  me  for  Sena 
tor  I  suppose  was  passed  more  for  the  object  of 
closing  down  upon  this  everlasting  croaking  about 
Wentworth  than  anything  else. 

The  signs  look  reasonably  well.  Our  State  ticket, 
I  think,  will  be  elected  without  much  difficulty. 
But,  with  the  advantages  they  have  of  us,  we  shall 
be  very  hard  run  to  carry  the  Legislature. 

We  shall  greet  your  return  home  with  great 
pleasure. 

Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  ROBERT  MOSELEY 

SPRINGFIELD,  July  2,  1858. 

ROBERT  MOSELEY,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir :  Your  letter  of  the  29th  is  received, 
and  for  which  I  thank  you.  Herewith  I  send  a  little 


To  Gustave  Koerner  89 

article  which  I  wish  you  would  have  published  in 
the  "Prairie  Beacon"  next  week. 

Besides  my  own  recollection  I  have  carefully 
examined  the  journals  since  I  saw  you  and  I  know 
the  editor  will  be  entirely  safe  in  publishing  the 
article.  Get  it  into  the  first  paper. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  GUSTAVE  KOERNER  1 

SPRINGFIELD  July  15,  1858. 

HON.  G.  KOERNER. 

My  dear  Sir:  I  have  just  been  called  on  by  one 
of  our  German  republicans  here,  to  ascertain  if 
Mr.  Hecker  could  not  be  prevailed  on  to  visit  this 
region  and  address  the  Germans,  at  this  place,  and 
a  few  others  at  least.  Please  ascertain  and  write 
me.  He  would  of  course  have  to  be  paid  something. 
Find  out  from  him  about  how  much. 

I  have  just  returned  from  Chicago.  Douglas 
took  nothing  by  his  motion  there  —  in  fact,  by 
his  rampant  endorsement  of  the  Dred  Scott  deci 
sion  he  drove  back  a  few  republicans  who  were 
favorably  inclined  towards  him.  His  tactics  just 
now,  in  part  is,  to  make  it  appear  that  he  is  hav 
ing  a  triumphal  entry  into,  and  march  through 
the  country;  but  it  is  all  as  bombastic  and  hollow 

1  Original  owned  by  Miss  Sophia  M.  Rombauer,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


90      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

as  Napoleon's  bulletins  sent  back  from  his  cam 
paign  in  Russia.  I  was  present  at  his  reception  in 
Chicago,  and  it  was  certainly  very  large  and  im 
posing;  but  judging  from  the  opinions  of  others 
better  acquainted  with  faces  there,  and  by  the 
strong  call  for  me  to  speak,  when  he  closed,  I 
really  believe  we  could  have  voted  him  down  in 
that  very  crowd. 

Our  meeting,  twenty-four  hours  after,  called 
only  twelve  hours  before  it  came  together  and  got 
up  without  trumpery,  was  really  as  large  and  five 
times  as  enthusiastic.  « 

I  write  this  for  your  private  eye,  to  assure  you 
that  there  is  no  solid  shot  in  these  bombastic  pa 
rades  of  his. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER 

SPRINGFIELD  July  20,  1858. 

HENRY  E.  DUMMER,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  When  I  was  in  Beardstown  last 
spring,  Dr.  Sprague  said  if  I  would  leave  a  bill,  he 
would  pay  it  before  long.  I  do  not  now  remember 
that  I  spoke  to  you  about  it.  I  am  now  in  need  of 
money.  Suppose  we  say  the  amount  shall  be  $50.  ? 
If  the  Dr.  is  satisfied  with  that,  please  get  the 
money  and  send  it  to  me. 


To  Henry  E.  Dummer  91 

And  while  you  have  pen  in  hand,  tell  me  what 
you  may  know  about  politics  down  your  way. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  HENRY  C.  WHITNEY  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  August  2,  1858. 

Dear  Whitney:  Yours  of  the  3  Ist  is  just  received. 
I  shall  write  to  B.  C.  Cook 2  at  Ottawa  and  to 
Lovejoy  himself  on  the  subject  you  suggest. 

Pardon  me  for  not  writing  a  longer  letter.  I  have 
a  great  many  letters  to  write.  I  was  at  Monticello 
Thursday  evening.  Signs  all  very  good. 
Your  friend  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER  3 

SPRINGFIELD,  Aug.  5  1858. 

Friend  Dummer:  Yours,  not  dated,  just  received. 
No  accident  preventing  I  shall  be  at  Beardstown 

1  A  close  legal  and  political  associate  of  Lincoln  and  a  personal 
friend;  author  of  Life  on  the  Circuit  with  Lincoln  and  a  posthumous 
Life  of  Lincoln  (1908).   This  letter  was  reproduced  in  facsimile 
in  Life  on  the  Circuit  with  Lincoln,  p.  492. 

2  Burton  C.  Cook.    For  a  letter  of  this  date  referring  appar 
ently  to  Whitney's  letter,  see  Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay,  Tandy's 
ed.,  1905,  in,  198. 

3  By  courtesy  of  William  F.  Dummer,  Chicago  Historical 
Society. 


92      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

on  the  1 2th.  I  thank  you  for  the  contents  of  your 
letter  generally.  I  have  not  time  now  to  notice  the 
various  points  you  suggest,  but  I  will  say  I  do  not 
understand  the  Republican  party  to  be  committed 
to  the  proposition  "No  more  slave  States."  I 
think  they  are  not  so  committed.  Most  certainly 
they  prefer  there  should  be  no  more,  but  I  know 
there  are  many  of  them  who  think  we  are  under 
obligations  to  admit  slave  States  from  Texas,  if 
such  shall  be  presented  for  admission ;  but  I  think 
the  party  as  such  is  not  committed  either  way. 
Your  friend  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  GUSTAVE  KOERNER 

SPRINGFIELD,  Aug.  6,  1858. 
HON.  G.  KOERNER. 

My  dear  Sir :  Yesterday  morning  I  found  a  drop 
letter  from  Governor  Bissell l  urging,  partly  in 
consequence  of  a  letter  from  you,  that  my  late 
speeches,  or  some  of  them  shall  be  printed  in 
pamphlet  form  both  in  English  and  German.  Hav 
ing  had  a  good  many  letters  to  the  same  effect,  I 
went  at  once  to  the  Journal  office  here,  and  set 
them  to  work  to  print  me  in  English  fifty  dollars 
worth  of  my  last  speech  at  Springfield,  July  lyth, 
that  appearing,  by  what  I  hear,  to  be  the  most 

1  William  H.  Bissell,  Republican  Governor  of  Illinois. 


To  Norman  B.  Judd  93 

"taking"  speech  I  have  made.  For  that  sum  they 
will  furnish  about  7000 ;  they  will,  at  the  same  time, 
print  some  more,  on  their  account,  and  keep  the 
type  standing  for  a  while.  I  also  wrote  to  Judd 
yesterday  to  get  the  same  speech  done  up  there  in 
German.  When  I  hear  from  him  I  will  write  you 
again. 

Some  things  are  passing  strange.  Wednesday 
morning  Douglas'  paper  here,  the  "Register," 
went  out  crowing  over  the  defeat  of  Blair  at  St. 
Louis,  and  Blair's  paper,  the  "Missouri  Demo 
crat,"  comes  back  the  next  day  puffing  and  en 
couraging  Douglas ! 

Please  write  me  on  receipt  of  this  and  let  me 
know  if  you  have  any  news  from  Madison.  Every 
place  seems  to  be  coming  up  to  my  expectations 
except  Madison. 

Your  friend  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  NORMAN  B.  JUDD  1 

ASHVILLE,  Oct.  20,  1858. 

HON.  N.  B.  JUDD, 

My  dear  Sir :  —  I  now  have  a  high  degree  of  con 
fidence  that  we  shall  succeed,  if  we  are  not  over 

1  Chairman  of  the  Illinois  delegation  in  the  Republican  Con 
vention  of  1860;  Minister  to  Prussia,  1861-65;  and  Congress 
man,  1867-71.  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Frederick  M.  Steele, 
Highland  Park,  111. 


94      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

run  with  fraudulent  votes  to  a  greater  extent  than 
usual.  On  alighting  from  the  cars  and  walking  the 
square  at  Naples  on  Monday,  I  met  about  fifteen 
Celtic  gentlemen,  with  black  carpet  sacks  in  their 
hands. 

I  learned  that  they  had  crossed  over  from  the 
railroad  in  Brown  county,  but  where  they  were 
going  no  one  could  tell.  They  dropped  in  about  the 
doggeries,  and  were  still  hanging  about  when  I  left. 
At  Brown  County  yesterday,  I  was  told  that  about 
four  hundred  of  the  same  sort  were  to  be  brought 
into  Schuyler,  before  the  election  to  work  on  some 
new  railroad,  but  on  reaching  here  I  find  Bagly 
thinks  that  is  not  so.  What  I  most  dread  is  that 
they  will  introduce  into  the  doubtful  districts  num 
bers  of  men  who  are  legal  voters  in  all  respects 
except  residence  and  who  will  swear  to  residence 
and  thus  put  it  beyond  our  power  to  exclude  them. 
They  can  and  I  fear  will  swear  falsely  on  that  point, 
because  they  know  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  con 
vict  them  of  perjury  upon  it. 

Now  the  great  reassuring  fact  of  the  campaign, 
is  finding  a  way  to  head  this  thing  off.  Can  it  be 
done  at  all  ? 

I  have  a  bare  suggestion.  When  there  is  a  known 
body  of  these  voters,  could  not  a  true  man,  of  the 
"detective"  class,  be  introduced  among  them  in  dis 
guise,  who  could,  at  the  nick  of  time,  control  their 
votes  ?  Think  this  over.  It  would  be  a  great  thing, 


To  Gen.  Eleazar  A.  Paine        95 

when  this  trick  is  attempted  upon  us,  to  have  the 
saddle  come  up  on  the  other  horse. 

I  have  talked,  more  fully  than  I  can  write,  to 
Mr.  Scripps,  and  he  will  talk  to  you. 

If  we  can  head  off  the  fraudulent  votes  we  shall 
carry  the  day. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  JOHN  MOSES 

BLANDONVILLE,  Oct.  24,  1858. 

HON  JOHN  MOSES 

My  Dear  Sir :  Throw  on  all  your  weight.  Some 
things  I  have  heard  make  me  think  your  case  is 
not  desperate  as  you  thought  when  I  was  in  Win 
chester.  Put  in  your  best  licks. 
Yours  in  haste 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  GEN.  ELEAZAR  A.  PAINE  1 
i 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  19,  1858. 

GEN.  ELEAZAR  A.  PAINE. 

Dear  Sir : .  .  .  Well,  the  election  is  over ;  and,  in 
the  main  point,  we  are  beaten.  Still  my  view  is 
that  the  fight  must  go  on.  Let  no  one  falter.  The 

1  A  lawyer  of  Monmouth,  111.  This  letter  probably  enclosed 
one  from  Dr.  A.  G.  Henry  to  Lincoln.  See  letter  to  Heury  in 
Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay,  1894,  I,  521,  and  same,  Tandy's  ed., 
1905,  v,  94. 


96      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

question  is  not  half  settled.  New  splits  and  divi 
sions  will  soon  be  upon  our  adversaries,  and  we  shall 
fuse  again. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  DR.  B.  CLARKE  LUNDY  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  26,  1858. 

DR.  B.  C.  LUNDY: 

My  dear  Sir :  Your  kind  letter  with  enclosure 
is  received,  and  for  which  I  thank  you.  It  being 
my  own  judgement  that  the  fight  must  go  on,  it 
affords  me  great  pleasure  to  learn  that  our  friends 
are  nowhere  dispirited. 

There  will  be  another  "blow  up"  in  the  democ 
racy.  Douglas  managed  to  be  supported  both  as 
the  best  instrument  to  break  down,  and  to  up-hold 
the  slave  power.  No  ingenuity  can  keep  this  de 
ception  —  this  double  position  —  up  a  great  while. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL 

SPRINGFIELD,  Dec.  n,  1858. 

HON.  L.  TRUMBULL. 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  the  yth  enclosing 
one  from  Mr.  Underwood  is  received.  I  have  not 

1  Copied  from  a  facsimile. 


( 


•1 


Hn 

*         i^  v    \ 


*     0 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  97 

the  slightest  thought  of  being  a  candidate  for  Con 
gress  in  this  District.  I  am  not  spoken  of  in  the 
connection ;  and  I  can  scarcely  conceive  what  has 
misled  Mr.  Underwood  in  regard  to  the  matter. 

As  to  what  we  shall  do,  the  Republicans  are  a 
little  divided.  The  Danites l  say  if  we  will  stand 
out  of  the  way,  they  will  run  a  man,  and  divide 
the  democratic  forces  with  the  Douglasites;  and 
some  of  our  friends  are  in  favor  of  this  course. 
Others  think  such  a  course  would  demoralize  us, 
and  hurt  us  in  the  future;  and  they,  of  course, 
are  in  favor  of  running  a  man  of  our  own  at  all 
events.  This  latter  view  will  probably  prevail. 

Since  you  left,  Douglas  has  gone  South,  making 
characteristic  speeches,  and  seeking  to  reinstate 
himself  in  that  section.  The  majority  of  the  demo 
cratic  politicians  of  the  nation  mean  to  kill  him ; 
but  I  doubt  whether  they  will  adopt  the  aptest 
way  to  do  it.  Their  true  way  is  to  present  him  with 
no  new  test,  let  him  into  the  Charleston  conven 
tion,  and  then  outvote  him,  and  nominate  an 
other.  In  that  case,  he  will  have  no  pretext  for 
bolting  the  nomination,  and  will  be  as  powerless 
as  they  can  wish.  On  the  other  hand,  if  they 
push  a  Slave  Code  upon  him,  as  a  test,  he  will 
bolt  at  once,  turn  upon  us,  as  in  the  case  of  Le- 
compton,  and  claim  that  all  Northern  men  shall 
make  common  cause  in  electing  him  President  as 

1  The  anti-Douglas  faction  of  Administration  Democrats. 


98      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

the  best  means  of  breaking  down  this  Slave  power. 
In  that  case,  the  democratic  party  go  into  a  mi 
nority  inevitably;  and  the  struggle  in  the  whole 
North  will  be,  as  it  was  in  Illinois  last  summer 
and  fall,  whether  the  Republican  party  can  main 
tain  its  identity,  or  be  broken  up  to  form  the  tail 
of  Douglas's  new  kite.  Some  of  our  great  Repub 
lican  doctors  will  then  have  a  splendid  chance 
to  swallow  the  pills  they  so  eagerly  prescribed  for 
us  last  spring.  Still  I  hope  they  will  not  swallow 
them;  and  although  I  do  not  feel  that  I  owe  the 
said  doctors  much,  I  will  help  them,  to  the  best  of 
my  ability,  to  reject  the  said  pills.  The  truth  is, 
the  Republican  principle  can  in  no  wise  live  with 
Douglas ;  and  it  is  arrant  folly  now,  as  it  was  last 
spring,  to  waste  time,  and  scatter  labor  already 
performed,  in  dallying  with  him. 

Your  friend  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  Jany  29.  1859 

HON:  L.  TRUMBULL 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  just  received  your  late  speech,  in 
pamphlet  form,  sent  me  by  yourself.  I  had  seen, 
and  read  it,  before,  in  a  newspaper;  and  I  really 
think  it  is  a  capital  one. 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


To  Mark  W.  Delahay  99 

When  you  can  find  leisure,  write  me  your  present 
impressions  of  Douglas'  movements.  Our  friends 
here  from  different  parts  of  the  State,  in  and  out 
of  the  Legislature,  are  united,  resolute,  and  deter 
mined;  and  I  think  it  is  almost  certain  that  we 
shall  be  far  better  organized  for  1860  than  ever 
before. 

We  shall  get  no  just  apportionment ;  and  the  best 
we  can  do,  (if  we  can  even  do  that)  is  to  prevent 
one  being  made  worse  than  the  present. 
Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  MARK  W.  DELAHAY  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Feb.  i,  1859. 

M.  W.  DELAHAY,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  22nd  of  January  is 
received.  I  do  expect  to  visit  Council  Bluffs 
some  time  between  this  and  next  summer;  and 
I  should  be  pleased  if  I  could  arrange  it  so  as  to 
meet  a  Republican  mass  convention  at  your  city. 
Until  the  Legislature  shall  adjourn,  no  one  can 
tell  what  will  be  the  time  of  holding  court  in  any 
county — a  thing  I  must  keep  my  eye  on  this  year, 
as  I  lost  pretty  nearly  all  of  the  last.  When  I  can 
speak  more  definitely  I  will  write  again.  Let  me 
say  now,  however,  that  I  think  the  later  in  May  the 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 


ioo    Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

better,  unless  you  could  defer  until  the  last  half  of 
June,  which  would  be  the  very  best  for  me.   I  am 
obliged  to  be  here  the  first  half  of  June. 
Yours,  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Feb.  3.  1859 

HON.  L.  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  29th  is  received. 
The  article  2  mentioned  by  you,  prepared  for  the 
"Chicago  Journal,"  I  have  not  seen;  nor  do  I  wish 
to  see  it,  though  I  heard  of  it  a  month,  or  more, 
ago.  Any  effort  to  put  enmity  between  you  and 
me,  is  as  idle  as  the  wind.  I  do  not  for  a  moment 
doubt  that  you,  Judd,  Cook,  Palmer,  and  the 
Republicans  generally,  coming  from  the  old  Dem 
ocratic  ranks,  were  as  sincerely  anxious  for  my 
success  in  the  late  contest,  as  I  myself,  and  the 
old  Whig  Republicans  were.  And  I  beg  to  assure 
you,  beyond  all  possible  cavil,  that  you  can 
scarcely  be  more  anxious  to  be  sustained  two  years 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 

2  This  was  "  an  article  said  to  have  been  prepared  by  Col.  John 
Wentworth  .  .  .  the  object  of  which  evidently  is  to  stir  up  bad 
feeling  between  Republicans  who  were  formerly  Whigs  and  those 
who  were  Democrats,  and  more  especially  to  create  prejudice 
against  myself  [Trumbull]  and  the  Democratic  portion  of  the 
party."    The  article  had  been  refused  publication  but  had  been 
circulated  privately. 


To  P.  H.  Watson       -  ":.  •  101 

hence  than  I  am  that  you  shall  be  so  sustained.  I 
can  not  conceive  it  possible  for  me  to  be  a  rival  of 
yours,  or  to  take  sides  against  you  in  favor  of  any 
rival.  Nor  do  I  think  there  is  much  danger  of  the 
old  Democratic  and  Whig  elements  of  our  party 
breaking  into  opposing  factions.  They  certainly 
shall  not,  if  I  can  prevent  it. 

I  do  not  perceive  that  there  is  any  feeling  here 
about  Cuba ;  and  so  I  think,  you  can  safely  venture 
to  act  upon  your  own  judgment  upon  any  phase 
of  it  which  may  be  presented. 

The  H.  R.  passed  an  apportionment  bill  yester 
day  —  slightly  better  for  [us]  than  the  present  in 
the  Senate  districts;  but  perfectly  outrageous  in 
the  H.  R.  districts.  It  can  be  defeated  without 
any  revolutionary  movement,  unless  the  session 
be  prolonged. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  P.  H.  WATSON  l 

CHICAGO,  March  2,  1859. 

P.  H.  WATSON,  ESQ., 

My  dear  Sir:  At  last  I  am  here  to  give  some 
attention  to  the  suit  of  Haines  and  Haines  vs. 
Talcott  and  others.  I  write  chiefly  now  to  get  up 
a  correspondence  with  you  by  which,  if  possible, 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  J.  L.  Smith,  Ashtabula,  Ohio. 


ic2     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

the  labor  may  be  lightened,  and  the  time  shortened, 
in  getting  the  case  ready  for  trial.  I  have  looked 
over  your  answer,  and  filed  a  Replication.  By  the 
Answer  you  lay  a  foundation  to  take,  and,  I  sup 
pose,  intend  to  take  a  great  deal  of  proof,  all  which 
must  be  by  depositions.  We  will  have  to  take  some 
on  our  part  to  begin  with,  besides  rebutting  yours 
as  well  as  we  may  be  able.  In  all  this  it  is  desirable 
that  we  agree  upon  times  and  places,  without  the 
labor  and  delay  of  formal  notices. 

Besides  this,  it  occurs  to  me  that  we  might  man 
age  to  get  the  opinion  of  the  Court  on  our  branch 
of  the  law,  even  if  that  be  for  you,  it  would  save 
all  the  labor  as  to  the  other.  I  mean  for  us,  with 
the  consent  of  the  Court,  to  first  make  the  question 
of  infringement,  if  our  right  be  as  it  apparently  is, 
on  the  face  of  the  patent,  have  you  infringed  it  ?  If 
this  be  decided  for  you,  it  is  an  end  of  the  case.  If 
for  us,  we  can  then  enter  upon  the  larger  and  more 
laborious  plan  of  trying  whether  our  apparent  right 
is  or  is  not  a  real  one  —  whether  it  is  substantially 
the  same  as  are  now  on  older  things. 

Consider  this  and  write  me,  at  Springfield,  as 
soon  as  you  conveniently  can.  Make  any  sugges 
tions  of  your  own  with  the  same  frankness  as  I 
have  done. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  Mark  W.  Delahay  103 

To  HADEN  KEELING  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  March  3,  1859. 

HADEN  KEELING,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  Feb.  28th  1859  is  received. 
I  do  not  think  there  is  the  least  use  of  doing  any 
more  with  the  law  suit.  I  not  only  do  not  think 
you  are  sure  to  gain  it,  but  I  do  think  you  are  sure 
to  lose  it.  Therefore  the  sooner  it  ends  the  better. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  MARK  W.  DELAHAY2 

SPRINGFIELD,  March  4,  1859. 

M.  W.  DELAHAY,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  —  Your  second  letter  in  relation 
to  my  being  with  you  at  your  Republican  conven 
tion  was  duly  received.  It  is  not  at  hand  just  now, 
but  I  have  the  impression  from  it  that  the  conven 
tion  was  to  be  at  Leavenworth;  but  day  before 
yesterday  a  friend  handed  me  a  letter  from  Judge 
M.  F.  Conway  in  which  he  also  expresses  a  wish  for 
me  to  come,  and  he  fixes  the  place  at  Ossawatomie. 
This  I  believe  is  off  of  the  river,  and  will  require 
more  time  and  labor  to  get  to  it.  It  will  push 
me  hard  to  get  there  without  injury  to  my  own 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 

2  Printed  in  Writings,  Lapsley  ed.,  v,  22.  Original  in  the  pos 
session  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society. 


104     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

business ;  but  I  shall  try  to  do  it,  though  I  am  not 
yet  quite  certain  I  shall  succeed. 

I  should  like  to  know  before  coming,  that  while 
some  of  you  wish  me  to  come,  there  may  not  be 
others  who  would  quite  as  lief  I  would  stay  away. 
Write  me  again. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  THOMAS  J.  PICKETT  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  March  5,  1859. 
T.  J.  PICKETT,  ESQ. 

My  Dear  Sir :  Yours  of  the  2nd  inst.  inviting  me 
to  deliver  my  lecture  on  "Inventions"  in  Rock 
Island,  is  at  hand  and  I  regret  to  be  unable,  from 
press  of  business  to  comply  therewith. 

In  regard  to  the  other  matter  you  speak  of,  I 
beg  that  you  will  not  give  it  a  further  mention. 
Seriously,  I  do  not  think  I  am  fit  for  the  Presi 
dency.2  Very  truly, 

Your  Obt  servt 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  A  newspaper  editor  of  Rock  Island,  111.     During  the  War 
he  was  a  quartermaster's  agent  there.     See  letter  of  Apr.  20, 
1863,  to  C.  Truesdale  in  Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay,  1894,  n,  326, 
and  same,  Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  vm,  251.  Transcript  furnished  by 
Mr.  Pickett  to  Mr.  Herndon,  Nov.  29,  1866. 

2  Mr.   Pickett  wrote  again  urging  Lincoln  to  run  for  the 
Presidency,  and    Lincoln  replied  in   the  same  strain,  Apr.  16, 
1859.    See  Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay,  1894,  I,  533,  and  same, 
Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  v,  127. 


To  William  A.  Ross  105 

To  P.  H.  WATSON 

P.  H.  WATSON,  ESQ., 

My  dear  Sir:  Reaching  here  the  I4th,  I  found 
yours  of  the  yth.  I  have  not  heard  from  Haines 
for  some  time,  and  until  I  do  hear  from  him  I  can 
say  nothing  definite  about  taking  evidence.  When 
I  hear  from  him  I  will  write  you. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  WILLIAM  A.  Ross 

LINCOLN,  LOGAN  Co.,  ILLS. 
March  26,  1859. 

WM.  A.  Ross,  ESQ: 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  i8th  was  received  a 
week  ago.  I  would  really  be  pleased  with  a  publi 
cation  substantially  as  you  propose.  But  I  would 
suggest  a  few  variations  from  your  plan.  I  would 
not  include  the  Republican  platform ;  because  that 
would  give  the  work  a  one-sided  party  cast,  unless 
the  democratic  platform  is  also  included. 

I  would  not  take  all  the  speeches  from  the  Press- 
Tribune;  but  I  would  take  mine  from  that  paper; 
and  those  of  Judge  Douglas  from  the  Chicago 
Times.  This  would  represent  each  of  us,  as  re 
ported  by  his  own  friends,  and  thus  be  mutual,  and 
fair.  I  would  take  the  speeches  alone ;  rigidly  ex 
cluding  all  comments  of  the  newspapers.  I  would 
include  the  correspondence  between  Judge  Douglas 


106     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

and  myself  which  led  to  the  joint  discussions.  I 
would  call  the  thing  "Illinois  political  canvass  of 
1858";  and,  as  falling  within  the  title,  I  would 
select  and  include  half  a  dozen  of  the  National 
Democratic  speeches.  Last  autumn  and  winter  I 
got  up  a  scrap-book  precisely  on  the  plan  I  have 
stated.  The  parts  stand  in  the  order  following  — 

My  speech  at  Springfield,  at  the  Republican 
convention,  June  16,  1858. 

Douglas'  speech  at  Chicago,  July  9,  1858 

My  speech  at  Chicago  July  10,  1858. 

Douglas'  speech  at  Bloomington  July  16,  1858 

Douglas'  speech  at  Springfield,  July  17,  1858 

My  speech  at  Springfield  July  17,  1858. 

The  correspondence  which  led  to  the  joint  dis 
cussions. 

The  joint  discussions,  in  the  order  in  which  they 
occurred. 

The  National  Democratic  speeches,  to  come  in 
after  the  others,  in  the  order  among  themselves 
in  which  they  were  delivered. 

In  my  own  speeches  I  have  corrected  only  a  few 
small  typographical  errors.  The  other  speeches 
I  have  not  touched;  but  merely  pasted  them  in 
from  the  papers  in  which  they  were  reported. 

Judge  Douglas  would  have  the  right  to  correct 
typographical  errors  in  his,  if  he  desires;  but  I 
think  the  necessity,  in  his  case,  would  be  less  than 
in  mine ;  because  he  had  two  hired  reporters  travel- 


To  Gustave  Koerner  107 

ling  with  him,  and  probably  revised  their  manu 
scripts  before  they  went  to  press;  while  I  had 
no  reporter  of  my  own,  but  depended  on  a  very 
excellent  one  sent  by  the  Press-Tribune ;  but  who 
never  wanted  to  show  me  his  notes  or  manu 
scripts;  so  that  the  first  I  saw  of  my  speeches 
after  delivering  them,  was  in  the  Press-Tribune 
precisely  as  they  now  stand. 

My  scrap  book  would  be  the  best  thing  to  print 
from;  still,  as  it  cost  me  a  good  deal  of  labor  to  get 
it  up,  and  as  I  am  very  desirous  to  preserve  the 
substance  of  it  permanently,  I  would  not  let  it  go 
out  of  my  control.  If  an  arrangement  could  be  made 
to  print  it  in  Springfield,  under  my  own  supervision, 
I  would  allow  the  scrap-book  to  be  used,  and  would 
claim  no  share  in  any  profit  that  could  be  made 
out  of  the  publication. 

I  am  here  now,  attending  court ;  and  seize  a  mo 
ment  to  answer  yours,  which  I  ought  to  have  done 
sooner.  Let  me  hear  from  you  again. 
Yours  with  respects 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  GUSTAVE  KOERNER 

SPRINGFIELD,  April  n,  1859. 

HON.  G.  KOERNER 

My  dear  sir :  Reaching  home  last  night,  I  found 
your  letter  of  the  4th.  The  meeting  of  the  Central 


io8     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Committee  was  at  Bloomington,  and  not  here.  I 
was  there  attending  court,  and,  in  common  with 
several  other  outsiders,  one  [of  whom  was  Judge 
Trumbull,  was  in  conference  with  the  Commit 
tee,  to  some  extent.  Judd  privately  mentioned 
the  subject  of  which  you  write,  to  me,  and  requested 
me  to  prepare  a  resolution,  which  I  did.  When  I 
brought  in  the  resolution  and  read  it  to  the  com 
mittee,  and  others  present,  in  an  informal  way, 
Judge  Trumbull  suggested  that  it  would  be  better 
to  select  some  act  of  our  adversaries,  rather  than 
of  our  friends,  upon  which  to  base  a  protest  against 
any  distinction  between  native  and  naturalized 
citizens,  as  to  the  right  of  suffrage.  This  led  to  a 
little  parley,  I  was  called  from  the  room,  the  thing 
passed  from  my  mind,  and  I  do  not  now  know 
whether  anything  was  done  about  it  by  the  Com 
mittee.  Judge  Trumbull  will  be  in  Belleville  when 
this  reaches  you,  and  he  probably  can  tell  you  all 
about  it.  Whether  anything  was  done  or  not,  some 
thing  must  be,  the  next  time  the  Committee  meets, 
which  I  presume  will  be  before  long. 

I  am  right  glad  the  Committee  put  in  operation 
our  plan  of  organization  which  we  started  here  last 
winter.  They  appointed  Mr.  Fell  of  Bloomington 
as  Secretary. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  Salmon  P.  Chase  109 

To  SALMON  P.  CHASE  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL., 
April  30th,  1859. 

HON.  S.  P.  CHASE, 

Dear  Sir :  Reaching  home  yesterday  I  found  your 
kind  note  of  the  14th,  informing  me  that  you  have 
given  Mr.  Whitney  the  appointment  he  desired; 
and  also  mentioning  the  present  encouraging  as 
pects  of  the  Republican  cause,  and  our  Illinois 
canvass  of  last  year. 

I  thank  you  for  the  appointment ;  allow  me  also 
to  thank  you  as  being  one  of  the  very  few  distin 
guished  men  whose  sympathy  we  thought  we  had 
reason  to  expect. 

Of  course  I  would  have  preferred  success;  but 
failing  in  that,  I  have  no  regrets  for  having 
rejected  all  advice  to  the  contrary,  and  resolutely 
made  the  struggle.  Had  we  thrown  ourselves  into 
the  arms  of  Douglas  as  re-electing  him  by  our  votes 
would  have  done,  the  Republican  cause  would 
have  been  annihilated  in  Illinois,  and,  as  I  think, 
demoralized  and  prostrated  everywhere  for  years, 
if  not  forever.  As  it  is,  in  the  language  of  Benton, 
'we  are  clean/  and  the  Republican  star  gradually 
rises  higher  everywhere. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Original  in  the  archives  of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  So 
ciety.  Printed  in  H.  C.  Whitney's  Life  of  Lincoln,  New  York, 
1908. 


i  io     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  CHARLES  AMBOS  l 

SPGFIELD  ILLS  June  21,  1859. 

CHARLES  AMBOS,  ESQ., 

Dear  Sir :  I  have  had  two  or  three  letters  from 
you  recently  in  regard  to  the  claim  of  your  Com 
pany  against  T.  A.  Barret.  Mr.  Barret  has  been 
telling  me  for  the  month  past  that  there  is  some 
money  at  Christian  Co.  of  the  claim  assigned  to 
your  Company  as  security  which  can  be  had  when 
he  and  I  can  go  there  together  to  release  a  portion 
of  the  land  involved;  but  I  have  been  unable  to 
get  off  at  any  time  when  I  could  [get]  Barret  to 
go  with  me. 

I  now  think  I  will  get  off  in  a  few  days.  It  is  so 
very  much  better  to  get  the  debt  reduced  by  actual 
payments  than  to  push  forward  in  sole  reliance 
upon  the  law,  that  I  am  loth  to  lose  any  oppor 
tunity  of  this  sort. 

I  would  now  very  gladly  surrender  the  charge  of 
the  case  to  any  one  you  would  designate,  without 
charging  anything  for  the  much  trouble  I  have 
already  had. 

Yours  &c 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  See  letters  of  July  27,  1859,  to  Samuel  Galloway  in  Works, 
Nicolay  and  Hay,  1894,  i,  536,  and  same,  Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  v, 
134- 


To  Nathan  Sargent  in 

To  NATHAN  SARGENT  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL., 
June  23,  1859. 

HON.  NATHAN  SARGENT. 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  very  acceptable  letter  of  the 
13th  was  duly  received.  Of  course  I  would  be 
pleased  to  see  all  the  elements  of  opposition  united 
for  the  approaching  contest  of  1860;  but  I  confess 
I  have  not  much  hope  of  seeing  it.  You  state  a 
platform  for  such  union  in  these  words  "Opposi 
tion  to  the  opening  of  the  Slave-trade ;  and  eternal 
hostility  to  the  rotten  democracy"  You  add,  by 
way  of  comment  "I  say,  if  the  republicans  would 
be  content  with  this,  there  will  be  no  obstacle  to 
a  union  of  the  opposition.  But  this  should  be  dis 
tinctly  understood,  before  Southern  men  are  asked 
to  join  them  in  a  National  convention."  Well, 
I  say  such  a  platform,  unanimously  adopted 
by  a  National  convention,  with  two  of  the  best 
men  living  placed  upon  it  as  candidates,  would 
probably  carry  Maryland,  and  would  certainly 
not  carry  a  single  other  State.  It  would  gain 
nothing  in  the  South,  and  lose  everything  in 
the  North.  Mr.  Goggin  has  just  been  beaten  in 

1  Judge  Sargent  had  been  a  prominent  member  of  the  Whig 
Party,  to  which  he  had  given  its  name.  He  was  afterwards 
Commissioner  of  Customs  under  Lincoln,  Johnson,  and  Grant. 
Reprinted  from  Harper's  Weekly,  Feb.  13,  1909,  where  it  was 
printed  in  an  article  by  Henry  Oldys. 


ii2     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Virginia  on  just  such  a  platform.  Last  year  the 
Republicans  of  Illinois  cast  125,000  votes;  on  such 
a  platform  as  yours  they  can  not  cast  as  many 
as  50,000.  You  could  not  help  perceiving  this,  if 
you  would  but  reflect  that  the  republican  party 
is  utterly  powerless  everywhere,  if  it  will,  by  any 
means,  drive  from  it  all  those  who  came  to  it  from 
the  democracy  for  the  sole  object  of  preventing 
the  spread  and  nationalization  of  slavery.  When 
ever  this  object  is  waived  by  the  organization,  they 
will  drop  the  organization;  and  the  organization 
itself  will  dissolve  into  thin  air.  Your  platform 
proposes  to  allow  the  spread  and  nationalization  of 
slavery  to  proceed  without  let  or  hindrance,  save 
only  that  it  shall  not  receive  supplies  directly  from 
Africa.  Surely  you  do  not  seriously  believe  the 
Republicans  can  come  to  any  such  terms. 

From  the  passage  of  the  Nebraska  bill  up  to  date, 
the  Southern  opposition  have  constantly  sought 
to  gain  an  advantage  over  the  rotten  democracy, 
by  running  ahead  of  them  in  extreme  opposition 
to,  and  vilification  and  misrepresentation  of  black 
republicans.  It  will  be  a  good  deal,  if  we  fail  to 
remember  this  in  malice,  (as  I  hope  we  shall  fail  to 
remember  it ;)  but  it  is  altogether  too  much  to  ask 
us  to  try  to  stand  with  them  on  the  platform  which 
has  proved  altogether  insufficient  to  sustain  them 
alone.  If  the  rotten  democracy  shall  be  beaten  in 
1860,  it  has  to  be  done  by  the  North;  no  human 


To  Editor  of  Central  Transcript    113 

invention  can  deprive  them  of  the  South.  I  do 
not  deny  that  there  are  as  good  men  in  the  South 
as  the  North ;  and  I  guess  we  will  elect  one  of 
them  if  he  will  allow  us  to  do  so  on  Republican 
ground.  I  think  there  can  be  no  other  ground  of 
union.  For  my  single  self  I  would  be  willing  to 
risk  some  Southern  man  without  a  platform;  but 
I  am  satisfied  that  is  not  the  case  with  the  Repub 
lican  party  generally. 

Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  CENTRAL  TRANSCRIPT  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  July  3,  1859. 

EDITOR  OF  THE  CENTRAL  TRANSCRIPT. 

Dear  Sir:  Your  paper  of  the  ist  which  I  presume 
you  sent  me  is  received.  Put  me  on  your  sub 
scription  list,  and  I  will  pay  at  fall  court. 

I  cut  a  slip  from  the  number  and  return  it  with 
a  word  of  comment.  I  shall  heartily  support  for 
Governor  whoever  shall  be  nominated  by  a  Re 
publican  state  convention ;  and  no  one  more  heart 
ily  than  any  one  of  the  five  you  name.  But  is  not 
the  fling  you  make  at  our  Northern  brethren  both 
unjust  to  them,  and  dangerous  to  our  cause?  You 
open  by  saying,  "A  strong  controversy  is  going 
on  between  the  Chicago  papers  as  to  who  shall 

1  Found  in  Mr.  Herndon's  papers. 


ii4     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

be  the  next  Republican  nominee  for  Governor." 
I  was  unaware  of  this.  I  have  not  seen  in  any  Chi 
cago  paper,  a  man  named  or  pointed  to,  whom  such 
paper  do  declare  for  as  its  candidate  for  Governor. 
Have  you  ?  Again,  ought  you  to  say,  as  you  do, 
that  "the  matter  will  be  entirely  controlled  by 
the  Central  and  Southern  portions  of  the  state"? 
Surely,  on  reflection,  you  will  agree  that  the  matter 
must  be  controlled,  in  due  proportion,  by  all  parts 
of  the  state.  Again,  you  say,  "The  defeat  of  Mr. 
Lincoln  may  be  attributed  to  the  course  pursued 
by  these  Northerners  in  putting  none  but  the 
most  ultra  men  on  the  track,  as  candidates  for  the 
more  important  state  and  Federal  offices  &c." 
This  statement  is  indeed  strange.  The  Republi 
can  party,  since  its  organization  in  Illinois,  has 
gone  through  two  general  elections  —  in  1856 
and  1858;  and  "these  Northerners"  have  not 
even  had  a  single  candidate  for  a  state  office,  or 
a  Federal  office  commensurate  with  the  state, 
either  residing  within  their  section,  or  hold 
ing  their  supposed  ultra  views.  In  1856  they  put 
on  the  track,  Bissell  of  Belleville  for  Governor, 
Hatch  of  Pike  Co.  for  secretary  of  state,  Dubois, 
of  Lawrence  Co.  for  Auditor,  Miller  of  Blooming- 
ton  for  Treasurer,  etc.  .  .  . 

Another  very  marked  fact  is  that  "these  North 
erners,"  in  the  two  past  elections,  gave  nearly  all 
the  votes  that  carried  them;  and  that  the  next  elec- 


To  D.  J.  Powers  115 

tion  will  be  lost  unless  "these  Northerners"  do  the 
same  thing  again.  Your  fling  about  men  entangled 
with  the  "Matteson  Robbery"  as  you  express  it,  — 
and  were  indicted  for  stealing  niggers  and  mail 
bags,  I  think  is  unjust  and  impolitic.  Why  manu 
facture  slang  to  be  used  against  us  by  our  enemies  ? 
The  world  knows  who  are  alluded  to  by  the  men 
tion  of  stealing  niggers  and  mail  bags.  .  .  .  Have 
candidates  by  agreement,  and  not  by  force,  help 
one  another  instead  of  trying  to  hurt  one  another. 
I  do  not  write  this  for  publication,  and  would  not 
have  written  at  all,  had  I  expected  a  chance  to  see 
and  talk  with  you  soon. 

Yours  very  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  D.  J.  POWERS  x 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Aug.  18,  1859. 
D.  J.  POWERS,  ESQ., 

Dear  Sir : — Reaching  home  after  an  absence  [of] 
nine  days  I  have  yours  of  the  I2th. 

I  have  also  received  that  of  July  27 ;  and,  to  be 
plain,  I  dislike  to  decline  the  honor  you  tendered 
me.  Two  difficulties  were  in  the  way  —  first,  I 
could  not  well  spare  the  time  from  the  Courts;  and 
secondly,  I  have  no  address  of  the  sort  prepared, 
and  could  scarcely  spare  the  time  to  prepare 
one ;  and  I  was  waiting,  before  answering  you,  to 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Frederick  M.  Steele,  Highland  Park, 
111. 


n6     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

determine  whether  the  difficulties  could  be  sur 
mounted.  I  will  write  you  definitely  on  the  ist  day 
of  September,  if  you  can  safely  delay  so  long. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  PETER  ZINN  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Sept.  6,  1859. 

PETER  ZINN,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir :  Yours  of  the  2nd  in  relation  to  my  ap 
pearing  at  Cincinnati  in  behalf  of  the  Opposition  is 
received.  I  already  had  a  similar  letter  from  Mr. 
W.  J.  Bascom,  Secretary  of  the  Republican  State 
Central  Committee  at  Columbus,  which  I  answer 
to-day.  You  are  in  correspondence  with  him,  and 
will  learn  all  from  him.  I  shall  try  to  speak  at 
Columbus  and  Cincinnati,  but  cannot  do  more. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  MARK  W.  DELAHAY  * 

SPRINGFIELD,  October  17,  1859. 

Dear  Delahay :  Your  letter  requesting  me  to  drop 
a  line  in  your  favor  to  Gen.  Lane  was  duly  received. 
I  have  thought  it  over,  and  concluded  it  is  not  the 

1  Copy  furnished  by  Mr.  Judd  Stewart. 

1  This  letter  and  the  following  are  from  Horace  White's  Life 
of  Lyman  Trumbull,  Boston,  1913,  p.  101.  Originals  in  the  col 
lection  of  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 


To  Mark  W.  Delahay  117 

best  way.  Any  open  attempt  on  my  part  would 
injure  you;  and  if  the  object  merely  be  to  assure 
Gen.  Lane  of  my  friendship  for  you,  show  him  the 
letter  herewith  enclosed.  I  never  saw  him,  or  cor 
responded  with  him;  so  that  a  letter  directly  from 
me  to  him,  would  run  a  great  hazard  of  doing  harm 
to  both  you  and  me. 

As  to  the  pecuniary  matter,  about  which  you 
formerly  wrote  me,  I  again  appealed  to  our  friend 
Turner  by  letter,  but  he  never  answered.  I  can  but 
repeat  to  you  that  I  am  so  pressed  myself,  as  to  be 
unable  to  assist  you,  unless  I  could  get  it  from  him. 

Yours  as  ever, 
(Enclosure)  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  MARK  W.  DELAHAY  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  October  17,  1859. 
M.  W.  DELAHAY,  ESQ., 

My  Dear  Sir:  I  hear  your  name  mentioned  for 
one  of  the  seats  in  the  U.S.  Senate  from  your  new 
state.  I  certainly  would  be  gratified  with  your  suc 
cess;  and  if  there  was  any  proper  way  for  me  to 
give  you  a  lift,  I  would  certainly  do  it.  But,  as  it  is, 
I  can  only  wish  you  well.  It  would  be  improper  for 
me  to  interfere ;  and  if  I  were  to  attempt  it,  it  would 
do  you  harm. 

Your  friend,  as  ever,  A.  LINCOLN 

P.S.  Is  not  the  election  news  glorious? 

1  Enclosed  with  the  preceding  letter. 


n8     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  WILLIAM  DUNGY  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  November  2,  1859. 

WM.  DUNGY,  ESQ.: 

Dear  Sir: — Yours  of  October  27  is  received. 
When  a  mortgage  is  given  to  secure  two  notes,  and 
one  of  the  notes  is  sold  and  assigned,  if  the  mort 
gaged  premises  are  only  sufficient  to  pay  one  note, 
the  one  assigned  will  take  it  all.  Also,  an  execution, 
from  a  judgement  on  the  assigned  note,  may  take 
it  all;  it  being  the  same  thing  in  substance.  There 
is  redemption  on  execution  sales  from  the  United 
States  Court  just  as  from  any  other  Court. 

You  did  not  mention  the  name  of  plaintiff  or 
defendant  in  the  suit,  and  so  I  can  tell  nothing 
about  it  as  to  sales,  bids,  etc.  Write  again, 
Yours,  etc., 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To   P.  QUINN  HARRISON2 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  3,  1859. 
P.  QUINN  HARRISON, 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  that  our 
friends  are  doing  the  best  they  can  about  the 
election. 

1  First  printed  in  Joseph  H.  Barrett's  Abraham  Lincoln  and 
his  Presidency,  i,  208;  reprinted  in  Writings,  Lapsley  ed.,  v,  113. 
a  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  119 

Still,  you  can  do  some  more  if  you  will.  A  young 
man  before  the  enemy  has  learned  to  watch  him, 
can  do  more  than  any  other.  Pitch  in  and  try. 
Palmer  is  good  and  true,  and  deserves  the  best  vote 
we  can  give  him.  If  you  can  make  your  precinct  20 
votes  better  than  it  was  last  we  probably  shall 
redeem  the  county.  Try. 

Yours  Truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  JESSE  A.  PICKEREL  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  3,  1859. 

Dear  Jesse : — I  am  never  done  asking  for  favors. 
I  shall  be  much  obliged  if  you  and  William  and 
your  sons  will  do  what  you  can  to  get  as  good  a 
vote  for  Palmer  as  possible.  He  is  a  good  and  true 
man;  and  we  possibly  may  elect  him.  Get  all  our 
voters  out  you  can. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  2 

SPRINGFIELD,  Nov.  28,  1859 
HON.  L.  TRUMBULL. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  23rd  is  received.  I 
agree  with  you  entirely  about  the  contemplated 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 
1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


120     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

election  of  Forney.1  Nothing  could  be  more  short 
sighted  than  to  place  so  strong  a  man  as  Forney  in 
position  to  keep  Douglas  on  foot.  I  know  nothing 
of  Forney  personally;  but  I  would  put  no  man  in 
position  to  help  our  enemies  in  the  point  of  our 
hardest  strain. 

There  is  nothing  new  here.    I  have  written 
merely  to  give  my  view  about  this  Forney  business. 
Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  JOHN  J.  CRITTENDEN  2 

December  22,  1859. 
Address,  SPRINGFIELD,  ILLINOIS. 

HON.  J.  J.  CRITTENDEN, 

U.S.  Senate. 

My  Dear  Sir:  I  should  not  care  to  be  a  candidate 
of  a  party  having  as  its  only  platform  "The  Con 
stitution,  the  Union  and  the  enforcement  of  the 
laws."  "The  Constitution,"  as  we  understand  it, 
has  been  the  shibboleth  of  every  party  or  malcon- 

1  John  W.  Forney  strenuously  supported  Douglas  in  his  oppo 
sition  to  the  Kansas  policy  of  President  Buchanan,  was  clerk  of 
the  National  House  of  Representatives  in  1851-55,  and  again 
in  1859.   He  became  an  ardent  Republican  and  was  Secretary  of 
the  Senate  in  1 861-68. 

2  United  States  Senator  from  Kentucky.  From  a  pamphlet  en 
titled  Some  Lincoln  Correspondence  with  Southern  Leaders  before 
the  Outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  from  the  Collection  of  Judd  Stew 
art,  1909.   The  letter  was  there  printed  from  a  copy. 


To  John  J.  Crittenden          121 

tent  from  the  Hartford  Convention  that  wanted  to 
secede  from  slave  territory  and  the  "Blue  Light" 
burners  who  were  in  British  sympathy  in  1812,  to 
John  C.  Calhoun  and  South  Carolina  Nullifica 
tion. 

The  Union,  we  intend  to  keep,  and  loyal  states 
will  not  let  disloyal  ones  break  it.  Its  constitution 
and  laws  made  in  pursuance  thereof  must  and  shall 
remain,  "the  supreme  law  of  the  land.'1  The  en 
forcement  of  what  laws  ?  If  they  are  those  which 
give  the  use  of  jails  &  domestic  police  for  masters 
seeking  "fugitives  from  labor"  that  means  war  in 
the  North.  No  law  is  stronger  than  is  the  public 
sentiment  where  it  is  to  be  enforced.  Free  speech 
and  discussion  and  immunity  from  whip  &  tar 
and  feathers,  seem  implied  by  the  guarantee  to 
each  state  of  "  a  republican  form  of  government." 
Try  Henry  Clay's  "gradual  emancipation"  scheme 
now  in  Kentucky,  or  to  circulate  W.  L.  Garrison's 
Liberator  where  most  men  are  salivated  by  the 
excessive  use  of  the  Charleston  Mercury.  Father 
told  a  story  of  a  man  in  your  parts  required  to  give 
a  warrantee  bill  of  sale  with  a  horse.  He  wrote,  "  I 
warrant  him  sound  in  skin  and  skeleton  and  with 
out  faults  or  faculties."  That  is  more  than  I  can 
say  of  an  unmeaning  platform.  Compromises  of 
principles  break  of  their  own  weight. 
Yours  very  respectfully 

A.  LINCOLN 


122     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Dec.  25,  1859 

HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL 

Dear  Sir:  About  the  i$th  by  direction  of  Mr. 
Judd,  I  sent  a  letter  and  inclosures  to  him,  ad 
dressed  to  your  care;  and  I  have  not  yet  learned 
whether  he  received  it. 

I  have  carefully  read  your  speech;  and  I  judge 
that,  by  the  interruptions,  it  came  out  a  much  bet 
ter  speech  than  you  expected  to  make  when  you 
began.  It  really  is  an  excellent  one,  many  of  the 
points  being  most  admirably  made. 

I  was  in  the  inside  of  the  Post-Office  last  evening 
when  a  mail  came  bringing  a  considerable  number 
of  your  documents ;  and  the  Post-Master  said  to 
me  "These  will  be  put  in  the  boxes,  and  half  will 
never  be  called  for.  If  Trumbull  would  send  them 
to  me  I  would  distribute  a  hundred  to  where  he  will 
get  ten  distributed  this  way." 

I  said,  "Shall  I  write  this  to  Trumbull?"  He  re 
plied,  "If  you  choose  you  may."  I  believe  he  was 
sincere ;  but  you  will  judge  of  that  for  yourself. 
Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


To  Alexander  H.  Stephens      123 

To  FERNANDO  JONES 

SPRINGFIELD  Jan.  15,  1860. 

FERNANDO  JONES,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir :  Yours  of  the  10th  was  received  two 
or  three  days  ago;  and  being  much  engaged,  I  have 
postponed  attending  to  it  until  now.  5 

Our  Republican  friend,  J.  W.  Fell,1  of  Bloom- 
ington,  Illinois,  can  furnish  you  the  material  for 
a  brief  sketch  of  my  history,  if  it  be  desired.  <-• 

I  shall  be  happy  to  receive  a  letter  from  you  at 
any  time. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  ALEXANDER  H.  STEPHENS2 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLINOIS,  19  January,  1860. 
Duplicated  for  Senator  Jno.  J.  Crittenden 

HONORABLE  A.  H.  STEPHENS 

Dear  Sir:  Your  letter  and  one  from  Hon.  J.  J. 
Crittenden,  reached  me  at  the  same  time.  He 
wants  a  new  party  on  the  platform  of  "The  Union, 
the  constitution  and  the  enforcement  of  the  Laws" 

1  Mr.  Fell  was  one  of  the  first  to  urge  Lincoln  to  seek  the  Re 
publican  nomination  for  President. 

2  From  a  pamphlet  entitled  Some  Lincoln  Correspondence  with 
Southern  Leaders  before  the  Outbreak  of  the  Civil  War>  from  the 
Collection  of  Judd  Stewart,  1909.    The  letter  was  there  printed 
from  a  copy  certified  as  correct  by  Mr.  Stephens. 


124     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

—  not  construed.  You  from  your  retirement  at 
Liberty  Hall  complain  of  the  bad  faith  of  many  in 
the  free  states  who  refuse  to  return  fugitives  from 
labor,  as  agreed  in  the  compromise  of  1850,  1854: 
but  I  infer  that  you  agree  with  Judge  Douglas  that 
the  territories  are  to  be  left  to  "form  and  regulate 
their  own  domestic  institutions  subject  only  to  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States."  I  remember 
the  letter  of  the  Whigs  in  Congress  in  1852  which 
defeated  Gen'l  Winfield  Scott  on  the  ground  that 
he  did  not  present  your  view  of  States'  rights. 
Also  that  your  letter  destroyed  the  Whig  party  and 
it  is  said  that  you  and  Toombs  voted  for  Webster 
after  he  was  dead.  You  are  still  "harping"  on  "my 
daughter"  and  you  supported  Zach  Taylor  as  a 
sound  Kentuckian.  If  I  understand  you,  here  are 
two  constructions :  Crittenden  being  willing  for  the 
Henry  Clay  gradual  emancipation,  I  think.  The 
rights  of  local  self-government  as  defined  by 
Webster,  also  including  state  determination  of 
citizenship,  are  clearly  in  the  Constitution.  When 
we  were  both  Members  of  the  Young-Indian  Club 
in  Washington  you  then  argued  for  paramount 
state  Sovereignty  going  very  nearly  to  the  extreme 
of  state  nullification  of  Federal  laws  with  John  C. 
Calhoun:  and  of  secession  at  will  with  Robert 
Toombs.  The  Colonies  were  subject  up  to  July  4, 
1776,  and  had  no  recognized  independence  until 
they  had  won  it  in  1783:  but  the  only  time  they 


To  Alexander  H.  Stephens      125 

ever  had  the  shadows  of  separate  sovereignty  was 
in  the  two  years  before  they  were  compelled  to 
the  articles  of  Confederation  July  9,  1778.  They 
fought  England  for  seven  years  for  the  right  to 
club  together  but  when  were  they  independent  of 
each  other?  Let  me  say  right  here  that  only  unani 
mous  consent  of  all  of  the  states  can  dissolve  this 
Union.  We  will  not  secede  and  you  shall  not.  Let 
me  show  you  what  I  think  of  the  reserved  rights  of 
the  states  as  declared  in  the  articles  of  Confedera 
tion  and  in  the  Constitution  and  so  called  Jeffer- 
sonian  amendments;  suppose  that  I  sold  a  farm 
here  in  Illinois  with  all  and  singular  the  rights, 
members  and  appurtenances  to  the  same  in  any 
wise  belonging  or  appertaining,  signed,  sealed  and 
delivered :  I  have  now  sold  my  land.  Will  it  at  all 
change  the  contract  if  I  go  to  the  clerk's  office  and 
add  a  post  script  to  the  record ;  that  all  rights  not 
therein  conveyed  I  reserve  to  myself  and  my  chil 
dren  ?  The  colonies,  by  the  Declaration  of  July  4, 
1776,  did  not  get  nationality,  for  they  were  leagued 
to  fight  for  it.  By  the  articles  of  Confederation  of 
July  9,  1778,  under  stress  and  peril  of  failure  with 
out  union,  a  government  was  created  to  which  the 
states  ceded  certain  powers  of  nationality,  especially 
in  the  command  of  the  army  and  navy,  as  yet  sup 
ported  by  the  states.  Geo.  Washington  was  Com 
mander  in  Chief  and  congress  was  advisory  agent 
of  the  states,  commending  but  not  enacting  laws 


126     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

for  the  thirteen,  until  empowered.  This  proved  in 
sufficient  and  the  peril  of  failure  was  great  as 
ever,  at  home  and  abroad.  Alexander  Hamilton 
and  others  of  New  York  were  first  to  urge  that  a 
government  with  no  revenues,  except  state  grants, 
could  have  no  credit  at  home  or  abroad.  Three 
years  later  Virginia  led  the  states  in  urging  con 
cessions  of  power,  and  then  by  twelve  states  — 
Rhode  Island  objecting  —  was  framed  our  original 
Constitution  of  1787  fully  three  and  a  half  years 
after  the  peace  that  sealed  our  United  national 
Independence.  The  post-script  erroneously  all  at 
tributed  to  Thomas  Jefferson,  came  in  three  in 
stallments.  The  first  ten  (10)  proposed  in  the  first 
session  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  25th 
September  1789  were  ratified  by  the  constitutional 
number  of  states  15  December  1791,  New  Jersey 
20  November  1789  and  Virginia  15  December  1791, 
eleven  states  only,  Georgia  and  Connecticut  dis 
senting.  The  eleventh  amendment,  proposed  5 
March  1794,  Third  Congress,  was  then  declared 
duly  adopted  by  a  President's  message  of  8  Jan 
uary,  1798,  eleven  states  consenting  &  finally 
all  consenting.  The  twelfth  amendment  was  pro 
posed  in  congress  12  December  1803  and  declared 
ratified  through  the  secretary  of  state  25  Septem 
ber  1804  by  the  constitutional  quorum  of  states. 
The  first  ten  articles  are  the  Bill  of  Rights  and  each 
set  of  amendments  had  a  preface.  The  eleventh 


To  Alexander  H.  Stephens      127 

limited  the  Federal  Judiciary.  The  twelfth  regu 
lated  general  elections  for  President  and  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States.  Do  any  or  all  of 
these  retract  the  fee-simple  grant  of  great  and  per 
manent  powers  to  the  Federal  Government?  There 
are  three  great  Departments:  I,  the  President  com 
manding  the  Army  and  Navy  and  with  a  veto  upon 
a  plurality  of  Congress.  II,  the  Congress  coining 
all  moneys ;  collecting  all  imposts  on  imports,  regu 
lating  all  interstate  as  all  external  commerce ;  mak 
ing  all  subordinate  Federal  Judiciary  as  appointed 
of  the  President  with  power  to  have  a  ten  mile 
square  seat  and  to  take  grants  or  to  buy  for  Forts, 
Dock  yards  and  Arsenals ;  having  post  offices  and 
post  roads  under  laws  executed  by  the  President, 
and  to  frame  supreme  constitutional  laws  and  set 
up  courts  and  Judges.  Ill,  The  supreme  court 
set  as  arbiter  and  expounder  of  the  constitution  and 
of  all  differences  of  states  and  with  states  or  of 
them  with  the  Federation;  no  loop  hole  left  for 
nullification,  and  none  for  secession,  —  because 
the  right  of  peaceable  assembly  and  of  petition 
and  by  article  Fifth  of  the  Constitution,  the  right 
of  amendment,  is  the  Constitutional  substitute  for 
revolution.  Here  is  our  Magna  Carta  not  wrested 
by  Barons  from  King  John,  but  the  free  gift  of 
states  to  the  nation  they  create  and  in  the  very 
amendments  harped  upon  by  states  rights  men 
are  proposed  by  the  Federal  congress  and  approved 


128     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

by  Presidents,  to  make  the  liberties  of  the  Republic 
of  the  West  forever  sure.  All  of  the  States'  Rights 
which  they  wished  to  retain  are  now  and  forever 
retained  in  the  Union,  including  slavery;  and  so  I 
have  sworn  loyalty  to  this  constitutional  Union, 
and  for  it  let  me  live  or  let  me  die.  But  you  say 
that  slavery  is  the  corner  stone  of  the  south  and  if 
separated,  would  be  that  of  a  new  Republic ;  God 
forbid.  When  a  boy  I  went  to  New  Orleans  on  a 
flat  boat  and  there  I  saw  slavery  and  slave  mar 
kets  as  I  have  never  seen  them  in  Kentucky,  and  I 
heard  worse  of  the  Red  River  plantations.  I  hoped 
and  prayed  that  the  gradual  emancipation  plan  of 
Henry  Clay  or  the  Liberian  colonization  of  John 
Q.  Adams  might  lead  to  its  extinction  in  the  United 
States.  Geo.  Washington,  the  Massachusetts 
Adams,  Presidents  James  Madison  and  Monroe, 
Benj.  Franklin  opposed  its  extension  into  the 
territories  before  I  did.  The  ordinance  of  1784, 
1787  for  the  North  West  territory  ceded  by  Vir 
ginia,  was  written  by  Thomas  Jefferson  and  signed 
only  by  slave-holders  and  that  prohibited  forever 
slavery,  or  involuntary  servitude  not  imposed  for 
crime.  Your  grandfather,  Captain  Stephens,  suf 
fered  at  Valley  Forge  and  bled  at  Brandywine 
for  the  principles  of  the  men  of  1776-1783.  Your 
Uncle,  Justice  Grier  of  the  Supreme  Bench  has 
recently  expounded  the  Supreme  Law  as  I  hon 
estly  accept  it.  Senator  Crittenden  complains  that 


To  Gustave  Koerner  129 

by  the  device  of  party  conventions  and  nomina 
tions  of  candidates  for  Presidents  and  Vice-Presi 
dents  the  Federal  plan  of  separate  and  unbiased 
Electoral  Colleges  is  taken  away  and  the  popular 
feature  of  elections  is  restored  to  the  people.  I 
reckon  they  wanted  it  so.  What  are  you  agoing  to 
do  about  it?  To  abolish  conventions  you  must 
abolish  candidates.  In  your  Oxford  College  ora 
tions,  you  say  "I  love  the  Union  and  revere  its 
memories ;  I  rejoice  in  all  its  achievements  in  arts, 
in  letters  and  in  arms."  If  it  is  a  good  thing,  why 
not  just  keep  it  and  say  no  more  about  it  ? 

I  am  not  in  favor  of  a  party  of  Union,  constitu 
tion  and  law  to  suit  Mr.  Bell  or  Mr.  Everett  and 
be  construed  variously  in  as  many  sections  as  there 
are  states. 

This  is  the  longest  letter  I  ever  dictated  or  wrote. 
But  this  is  to  only  you  alone,  not  to  the  public. 
Your  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  GUSTAVE  KOERNER 

SPRINGFIELD,  Jan  20,  1860. 

HON.  G.  KOERNER, 

My  dear  Sir:  Yesterday  the  Judge  decided  the 
demurrer  against  us  on  all  the  points.  On  looking 
over  your  memorandum  left  with  me,  I  find  you 
desired  me  to  have  the  case  set  for  trial  as  late  as 


130     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

I  can.  But  really  I  find  I  have  no  power  to  set  a 
time  for  the  trial.  The  opposite  party  is  not  here, 
in  person  or  by  counsel,  and  the  Judge,  properly 
enough,  refuses  to  make  a  stipulation  for  the  absent 
party.  He  says  he  understands,  however,  that  the 
case  is  not  to  come  up  before  the  24th. 

I  have  telegraphed  you  to-day;  but  if  this  reaches 
you  before  you  leave,  you  might  see  Jewett  at  St. 
Louis  and  make  an  arrangement. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  ABRAHAM  JONAS  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Feb.  4,  1860 

HON.  A.  JONAS. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  3rd  inquiring  how  you 
can  get  a  copy  of  the  debates  now  being  published 
in  Ohio  is  received.  As  you  are  one  of  my  most 
valued  friends,  and  have  complimented  me  by  the 
expression  of  a  wish  for  the  book,  I  propose  doing 
myself  the  honor  of  presenting  you  with  one,  as 
soon  as  I  can.  By  the  arrangement  our  Ohio 
friends  have  made  with  the  publishers,  I  am  to  have 
one  hundred  copies  gratis.  When  I  shall  receive 
them  I  will  send  you  one  by  express.  I  understand 
they  will  not  be  out  before  March  and  I  probably 

1  An  English  Jew  settled  at  Quincy,  111.,  and  a  political  friend 
of  Lincoln.  See  p.  241. 


To  Henry  E.  Dummer          131 

shall  be  absent  about  that  time,  so  that  you  must 
not  be  disappointed  if  you  do  not  receive  yours 
before  about  the  middle  of  the  month. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  HENRY  E.  DUMMER 

FEBRUARY  8,  1860. 

Dear  Mr.  Dummer :  I  have  examined  and  consid 
ered  the  general  proposition  in  your  letter  accom 
panying  copy  of  contract  in  relation  to  Lard  tubs, 
apparatus  &c.,  and  in  my  opinion  the  Messrs  H.  C. 
Gadsen  and  Co.  will,  as  a  general  proposition,  have 
a  right  to  continue  to  use  the  Tubs,  apparatus  &c 
which  they  have. 

The  reason  why  I  say  "  as  a  general  proposition  " 
is  that  I  fear  the  phraseology  of  the  contract  de 
prives  them  of  it. 

The  language  of  the  contract  is  so  explicit  and 
so  often  repeated  that  the  right  to  use  "shall  be 
until  the  expiration  of  patent"  that  I  fear  it  will  be 
held  that  by  the  contract  they  cannot  have  the 
benefit  of  the  enterprise. 

Much  might  be  said  on  the  other  side  and  I  only 
mean  to  say  that  in  my  mind  the  question  on  the 
phraseology  of  the  contract  is  doubtful  and  per 
haps  is  worth  trying. 

Yours  as  ever,  A.  LINCOLN. 


132     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  O.  P.  HALL  AND  I  (or  J.)  H.  FULLININDER 

SPRINGFIELD  Feb.  14,  1860. 

MESSRS.  O.  P.  HALL  & 

I  OR  J.  H.  FULLININDER. 
Gentlemen:  Your  letter  in  which,  among  other 
things,  you  ask  what  I  meant  when  I  said  this 
"Union  could  not  stand  half  slave  and  half  free  "; 
and  also  what  I  meant  when  I  said  "a  house 
divided  against  itself  could  not  stand  "  is  received 
and  I  very  cheerfully  answer  it  as  plainly  as  I  may 
be  able.  You  misquote,  to  some  material  extent, 
what  I  did  say,  which  induces  me  to  think  you  have 
not  very  carefully  read  the  speech  in  which  the 
expressions  occur  which  puzzle  you  to  understand. 
For  this  reason  and  because  the  language  I  used 
is  as  plain  as  I  can  make  it,  I  now  quote  at  length 
the  whole  paragraph  in  which  the  expressions  which 
puzzle  you  occur.  It  is  as  follows:  "We  are  now  far 
into  the  fifth  year  since  a  policy  was  initiated  with 
the  avowed  object  and  confident  promise  of  putting 
an  end  to  slavery  agitation.  Under  the  operation 
of  that  policy  that  agitation  has  not  only  not 
ceased,  but  constantly  augmented.  I  believe  it  will 
not  cease  until  a  crisis  shall  have  been  reached,  and 
passed.  A  house  divided  against  itself  can  not 
stand.  I  believe  this  government  can  not  endure 
permanently ',  half  slave,  and  half  free.  I  do  not  ex 
pect  the  Union  to  be  dissolved:  I  do  not  expect  the 


To  Messrs.  Hall  and  Fullininder    133 

house  to  fall;  but  I  do  expect  it  will  cease  to  be 
divided.  It  will  become  all  one  thing,  or  all  the 
other.  Either  the  opponents  of  slavery  will  avert 
the  further  spread  of  it  and  place  it  where  the 
public  mind  shall  rest  in  the  belief  that  it  is  in 
course  of  ultimate  extinction;  or  its  advocates  will 
push  it  forward  till  it  will  become  alike  lawful  in 
all  the  states,  old  as  well  as  new,  North  as  well  as 
South." 

That  is  the  whole  paragraph;  and  it  puzzles  me 
to  make  my  meaning  plainer.  Look  over  it  care 
fully,  and  conclude  I  meant  all  I  said,  and  did  not 
mean  any  thing  I  did  not  say,  and  you  will  have 
my  meaning.  Douglas  attacked  me  upon  this,  say 
ing  it  was  a  declaration  of  war  between  the  slave 
and  the  free  states.  You  will  perceive,  I  said  no 
such  thing,  and  I  assure  you  I  thought  of  no  such 
thing.  If  I  had  said  I  believe  the  Government  can 
not  last  always  half  slave  and  half  free,  would  you 
understand  it  any  better  than  you  do?  Endure 
permanently  and  last  always  have  exactly  the  same 
meaning.  If  you,  or  if  you  will  state  to  me  some 
meaning  which  you  suppose  I  had,  I  can  and  will 
instantly  tell  you  whether  that  was  my  meaning. 
Your  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


134     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


To  BEERS  &  MANSFIELD 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS., 
March  14,  1860 

MESS.  BEERS  AND  MANSFIELD. 

Gentlemen:  Your  request  to  take  a  photographic 
likeness  of  me,  while  in  your  city,  was  duly  re 
ceived;  but  at  a  time  when  my  arrangements  were 
so  made  that  I  could  not  call  upon  you  before 
leaving.  I  would  have  written  sooner,  but  the 
matter  passed  out  of  my  mind;  and  is  now  recalled 
by  the  sight  of  your  note.  I  beg  you  will  believe  me 
guilty  of  no  intentional  disrespect. 
Very  Respectfully, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  MARK  W.  DELAHAY  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS. 
Mar.  1 6,  1860. 

Dear  Delahay:  I  have  just  returned  from  the 
East.  Before  leaving  I  received  your  letter  of 
Feb.  6;  and  on  my  return  I  find  those  of  the  17th 
and  19th  with  Gen'l  Lane's  note  inclosed  in  one  of 
them.  I  sincerely  wish  you  could  be  elected  one  of 
the  first  Senators  from  Kansas;  but  how  to  help 
you  I  do  not  know.  If  it  were  permissible  for  me 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik.  An  extract  was 
published  in  Writings,  Lapsley,  v,  178,  with  name  suppressed. 


To  Mark  W.  Delahay  135 

to  interfere,  I  am  not  personally  acquainted  with  a 
single  member  of  your  Legislature.  If  my  known 
friendship  for  you  could  be  of  any  advantage,  that 
friendship  was  abundantly  manifested  by  me  last 
December  while  in  Kansas.  If  any  member  had 
written  me,  as  you  say  some  have  Trumbull,  I 
would  very  readily  answer  him.  I  shall  write 
Trumbull  at  this  sitting. 

I  understood,  while  in  Kansas,  that  the  State 
Legislature  will  not  meet  until  the  State  is  ad 
mitted.  Was  that  the  right  understanding? 

As  to  your  kind  wishes  for  myself,  allow  me  to 
say  I  can  not  enter  the  ring  on  the  money  basis  — 
first,  because,  in  the  main,  it  is  wrong;  and  sec 
ondly,  I  have  not,  and  can  not  get,  the  money.  I 
say,  in  the  main,  the  use  of  money  is  wrong;  but 
for  certain  objects,  in  a  political  contest,  the  use  of 
some,  is  both  right  and  indispensable.  With  me  as 
with  yourself,  this  long  struggle  has  been  one  of 
great  pecuniary  loss.  I  now  distinctly  say  this :  If 
you  shall  be  appointed  a  delegate  to  Chicago,  I  will 
furnish  one  hundred  dollars  to  bear  the  expenses 
of  the  trip. 

Present  my  respects  to  Gen'l  Lane;  and  say  to 
him,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from  him  at  any 
time. l 

Your  friend,  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN 

P.S.  I  have  not  yet  taken  the  newspaper  slip  to 


136     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

the  Journal.    I  shall  do  that  tomorrow,  and  then 
send  you  the  paper  as  requested. 

A.  L. 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  Mar.  16,  1860 

HON:  L.  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir:  When  I  first  saw  by  the  despatches 
that  Douglas  had  run  from  the  Senate  while  you 
were  speaking  I  did  not  quite  understand  it;  but 
seeing  by  the  report  that  you  were  cramming  down 
his  throat  that  infernal  stereotyped  lie  of  his  about 
"negro  equality"  the  thing  became  plain. 

Another  matter.  Our  friend  Delahay  wants  to 
be  one  of  the  Senators  from  Kansas.  Certainly  it 
is  not  for  outsiders  to  obtrude  their  interference. 
Delahay  has  suffered  a  great  deal  in  our  cause,  and 
been  very  faithful  to  it,  as  I  understand.  He  writes 
me  that  some  of  the  members  of  the  Kansas  Legis 
lature  have  written  you  in  a  way  that  your  simple 
answer  might  help  him.  I  wish  you  would  consider 
whether  you  can  not  assist  him  that  far,  without 
impropriety.  I  know  it  is  a  delicate  matter;  and  I 
do  not  wish  to  press  you  beyond  your  own  judge 
ment. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


To  Ward  H.  Lamon  137 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

CHICAGO,  March  26,  1860 

HON:  L.  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir:  They  are  having  a  desperate  strug 
gle  in  Connecticut; 2  and  it  would  both  please,  and 
help  our  friends  there,  if  you  could  be  with  them  in 
the  last  days  of  the  fight.  Having  been  there,  I 
know  they  are  proud  of  you  as  a  son  of  their  own 
soil,  and  would  be  moved  to  greater  exertion  by 
your  presence  among  them. 

Can  you  not  go?  Telegraph  them,  and  go  right 
along.  The  fiendish  attempt  now  being  made  upon 
Connecticut,  must  not  be  allowed  to  succeed. 
Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  WARD  H.  LAMON 

CHICAGO,  March  28,  1860 

MR.  W.  H.  LAMON. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  about  motions  to  quash  the 
indictment  was  received  yesterday.  I  think  I  had 
no  authority  but  the  statute  when  I  wrote  the  in 
dictment  —  in  fact  I  remember  but  little  about  it. 
I  think  yet  there  is  no  necessity  for  setting  out  the 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 

2  After  his  speech  at  the  Cooper  Institute,  February  27,  1860, 
Lincoln  spent  several  days  in  Connecticut. 


138     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

letter  in  haec  verba.  Our  statute  as  I  think  releases 
the  high  degree  of  technical  certainty  formerly 
required. 

I  am  so  busy  with  our  case  on  trial  here  that  I 
cannot  examine  authorities  here  as  fully  as  you 
can  there.  If  after  all  the  indictment  shall  be 
quashed  it  will  prove  that  my  forte  is  as  a  states 
man  rather  than  a  prosecutor. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  R.  M.  CORWINE  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  April  6th,  1860. 

HON.  R.  M.  CORWINE. 

My  Dear  Sir —  Reaching  home  yesterday  after  an 
absence  of  more  than  two  weeks,  I  found  your  let 
ter  of  the  24th  of  March.  Remembering  that  when 
not  a  very  great  man  begins  to  be  mentioned  for  a 
very  great  position,  his  head  is  very  likely  to  be  a 
little  turned,  I  concluded  I  am  not  the  fittest  per 
son  to  answer  the  questions  you  ask.  Making  due 
allowance  for  this,  I  think  Mr.  Seward  is  the  very 
best  candidate  we  could  have  for  the  North  of  Illi 
nois,  and  the  very  worst  for  the  South  of  it.  The 
estimate  of  Gov.  Chase  here  is  neither  better  nor 

1  A  delegate  from  Ohio  to  the  Chicago  Convention  in  1860. 
During  the  War  for  the  Union  he  served  on  the  staff  of  General 
Fremont. 


To  R.  M.  Corwine  139 

worse  than  that  of  Seward,  except  that  he  is  a 
'newer  man.  They  are  regarded  as  being  almost  the 
same,  seniority  giving  Seward  the  inside  track. 
Mr.  Bates,  I  think,  would  be  the  best  man  for 
the  South  of  our  State,  and  the  worst  for  the  North 
of  it.  If  Judge  McLean *  was  fifteen,  or  even  ten 
years  younger,  I  think  he  would  be  stronger  than 
either,  in  our  state,  taken  as  a  whole ;  but  his  great 
age,  and  the  recollection  of  the  deaths  of  Harrison 
and  Taylor  have,  so  far,  prevented  his  being  much 
spoken  of  here. 

I  really  believe  we  can  carry  the  state  for  either 
of  them,  or  for  any  one  who  may  be  nominated; 
but  doubtless  it  would  be  easier  to  do  it  with  some 
than  with  others. 

I  feel  myself  disqualified  to  speak  of  myself  in 
this  matter.  I  feel  this  letter  will  be  of  little  value 
to  you;  but  I  can  make  it  no  better,  under  the  cir 
cumstances.  Let  it  be  strictly  confidential,  not  that 
there  is  any  thing  really  objectionable  in  it,  but 
because  it  might  be  misconstrued. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  John  McLean,  of  Ohio,  United  States  Supreme  Court  Jus 
tice.  He  received  twelve  votes  on  the  first  ballot  in  the  con 
vention  and  five  on  the  third  and  last  ballot. 


140     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


To  LYMAN 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  April  7,  1860 

HON:  L.  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir:  Reaching  home  from  Chicago, 
where  I  have  been  engaged  two  weeks  in  the  trial 
of  a  lawsuit,  I  found  your  letter  of  March  26th. 

Of  course  you  can  do  no  better  for  Delahay 
than  you  promise.  I  am  trying  to  keep  out  of  the 
contest  among  our  friends  for  the  Gubernatorial 
nomination  ;  but  from  what  I  hear,  the  result  is  in 
considerable  doubt. 

We  have  just  had  a  clear  party  victory  in  our 
City  election;  and  our  friends  are  more  encour 
aged,  and  our  enemies  more  cowed  by  it,  than  by 
anything  since  the  organization  of  the  Republi 
can  party.  Last  year  we  carried  the  city;  but  we 
did  it,  not  by  our  own  strength,  but  by  an  open 
feud  among  our  enemies.  This  year  their  feud  was 
healed;  and  we  beat  them  fairly  by  main  strength. 

I  can  scarcely  give  an  opinion  as  to  what  effect 
a  nomination  of  Judge  McLean,  by  the  Union  Con 
vention,  would  have.  I  do  not  believe  he  would  ac 
cept  it;  and  if  he  did,  that  fact  alone,  I  think,  would 
shut  him  out  of  the  Chicago  Convention.  If  he 
were  ten  years  younger  he  would  be  our  best  can 
didate. 

Yours  as  ever  A.  LINCOLN 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


To  Mark  W.  Delahay          141 
To  JOHN  M.  CARSON 

SPRINGFIELD,  April  7,  1860 

JOHN  M.  CARSON,  ESQ., 

Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Lectures 
Of  the  Harrison  Literary  Institute. 
Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  March  14  addressed  to  me  at 
Chicago  seeking  to  arrange  with  me  to  lecture  for 
the  Harrison  Literary  Institute  has  been  received. 
I  regret  that  I  cannot  make  such  an  arrangement. 
I  am  not  a  professional  lecturer.  Have  never  got 
up  but  one  lecture,  and  that  I  think  rather  a  poor 
one.  Besides,  what  time  I  can  spare  from  my  own 
business  this  season  I  shall  be  compelled  to  give  to 
politics. 

Respectfully  yours, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  MARK  W.  DELAHAY  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS. 
April  14,  1860. 

M.  W.  DELAHAY, 

My  dear  Sir:  Reaching  home  last  night  I  find 
your  letter  of  the  yth.  You  know  I  was  in  New 
England.  Some  of  the  acquaintances  I  made  while 
there,  write  me  since  the  elections  that  the  close 

1  Published  in  the  Works  with  name  suppressed  (Works,  Nico 
lay  and  Hay,  1894,  i,  633,  and  same,  Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  vi,  10). 


142     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

votes  in  Conn,  and  the  quasi  defeat  in  R.I.  are  a 
drawback  upon  the  prospects  of  Gov.  Seward ;  and 
Trumbull  writes  Dubois  to  the  same  effect.  Do 
not  mention  this  as  coming  from  me.  Both  those 
states  are  safe  enough  for  us  in  the  fall.  I  see  by  the 
dispatches  that  since  you  wrote,  Kansas  has  ap 
pointed  Delegates  and  instructed  them  for  Seward. 
Don't  stir  them  up  to  anger,  but  come  along  to  the 
convention,  and  I  will  do  as  I  said  about  expenses. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  April  29,  1860 
HON:  L.  TRUMBULL: 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  24th  was  duly  received ; 
and  I  have  postponed  answering  it,  hoping  by  the 
result  at  Charleston,  to  know  who  is  to  lead  our 
adversaries,  before  writing.  But  Charleston  hangs 
fire,  and  I  wait  no  longer. 

*  As  you  request,  I  will  be  entirely  frank.  The 
taste  is  in  my  mouth  a  little ;  and  this,  no  doubt, 
disqualifies  me,  to  some  extent,  to  form  correct 
opinions.  You  may  confidently  rely,  however,  that 
by  no  advice  or  consent  of  mine,  shall  my  preten- 
tions  be  pressed  to  the  point  of  endangering  our 
common  cause. 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  143 

Now,  as  to  my  opinions  about  the  chances  of 
others  in  Illinois.  I  think  neither  Seward  nor  Bates 
can  carry  Illinois  if  Douglas  shall  be  on  the  track; 
and  that  either  of  them  can,  if  he  shall  not  be.  I 
rather  think  McLean  could  carry  it  with  D.  on  or 
off;  in  other  words,  I  think  McLean  is  stronger  in 
Illinois,  taking  all  sections  of  it,  than  either  S.  or  B; 
and  I  think  S.  the  weakest  of  the  three.  I  hear  no 
objection  to  Mr.  McLean,  except  his  age;  but  that 
objection  seems  to  occur  to  every  one;  and  it  is 
possible  it  might  leave  him  no  stronger  than  the 
others.  By  the  way,  if  we  should  nominate  him, 
how  would  we  save  to  ourselves  the  chance  of  fill 
ing  his  vacancy  in  the  Court  ?  Have  him  hold  on  up 
to  the  moment  of  his  inauguration?  Would  that 
course  be  no  draw-back  upon  us  in  the  canvass? 

Recurring  to  Illinois,  we  want  something  here 
quite  as  much  as,  and  which  is  harder  to  get  than, 
the  electoral  vote  —  the  Legislature.  And  it  is 
exactly  in  this  point  that  Seward's  nomination 
would  be  hard  upon  us.  Suppose  he  should  gain  us 
a  thousand  votes  in  Winnebago,  it  would  not  com 
pensate  for  the  loss  of  fifty  in  Edgar. 

A  word  now  for  your  own  special  benefit.  You 
better  write  no  letters  which  can  possibly  be  dis 
torted  into  opposition,  or  quasi  opposition  to  me. 
There  are  men  on  the  constant  watch  for  such 
things  out  of  which  to  prejudice  my  peculiar  friends 
against  you. 


144     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

While  I  have  no  more  suspicion  of  you  than  I 
have  of  my  best  friend  living,  I  am  kept  in  a  con 
stant  struggle  against  suggestions  of  this  sort.  I 
have  hesitated  some  to  write  this  paragraph,  lest 
you  should  suspect  I  do  it  for  my  own  benefit,  and 
not  for  yours;  but  on  reflection  I  conclude  you  will 
not  suspect  me. 

Let  no  eye  but  your  own  see  this  —  not  that 
there  is  anything  wrong,  or  even  ungenerous,  in  it; 
but  it  would  be  misconstrued. 

Your  friend  as  ever  A.  LINCOLN 


To  LYMAN 

Private 

SPRINGFIELD,  May  i,  1860 
HON:  L.  TRUMBULL 

Dear  Sir:  In  my  last  letter  to  you  I  believe  I  said 
I  thought  Mr.  Seward  would  be  weaker  in  Illinois 
than  Mr.  Bates.  I  write  this  to  qualify  the  opinion 
so  far  as  to  say  I  think  S.  weaker  than  B.  in  our 
close  Legislative  districts;  but  probably  not  weaker 
taking  the  whole  State  over. 

We  now  understand  that  Douglas  will  be  nomi 
nated  to-day  by  what  is  left  of  the  Charleston 
Convention. 

All  parties  here  dislike  it.  Republicans  and 
Danites,2  that  he  should  be  nominated  at  all;  and 

1  See  note  on  p.  66.  2  See  note  on  p.  97. 


To  C.  M.  Allen  145 

Doug.  Dem's  that  he  should  not  be  nominated  by 
an  undivided  Convention. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  C.  M.  ALLEN  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  May  I,  1860 

HON:  C.  M.  ALLEN: 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  very  kind  letter  of  the  27th, 
was  received  yesterday.  This  writing  being  early 
in  the  morning,  Douglas  is  not  yet  nominated ;  but 
we  suppose  he  certainly  will  be  before  sun-set  to 
day,  a  few  of  the  smaller  Southern  states  having 
seceded  from  the  convention  —  just  enough  to  per 
mit  his  nomination,  and  not  enough  to  hurt  him 
much  at  the  election.  This  puts  the  case  in  the 
hardest  shape  for  us.  But  fight  we  must ;  and  con 
quer  we  shall,  in  the  end. 

Our  friend  Dubois,  and  Judge  David  Davis,  of 
Bloomington,  one  or  both,  will  meet  you  at  Chi 
cago,  on  the  1 2th. 

If  you  let  Usher  2  and  Griswold  of  Terre  Haute 
know,  I  think  they  will  co-operate  with  you. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Of  Vincennes,  Ind.     Original  owned  by  Mr.  Irving  Swan 
Brown,  of  Worcester,  Mass. 

2  John  P.  Usher,  a  lawyer  friend  of  Lincoln's  and  afterwards 
his  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 


146     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  R.  M.  CORWINE 

Private 
SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  May  2,  1860. 

HON.  R.  M.  CORWINE. 

Dear  Sir:  —  Yours  of  the  3Oth  ult.  is  just  re 
ceived.  After  what  you  have  said,  it  is  perhaps 
proper  I  should  post  you,  so  far  as  I  am  able,  as  to 
the  "  lay  of  the  land."  First  I  think  the  Illinois  del 
egation  will  be  unanimous  for  me  at  the  start;  and 
no  other  delegation  will.  A  few  individuals  in  other 
delegations  would  like  to  go  for  me  at  the  start,  but 
may  be  restrained  by  their  colleagues.  It  is  repre 
sented  to  me  by  men  who  ought  to  know,  that  the 
whole  of  Indiana  might  not  be  difficult  to  get.  You 
know  how  it  is  in  Ohio.  I  am  certainly  not  the  first 
choice  there;  and  yet  I  have  not  heard  that  anyone 
makes  any  positive  objection  to  me.  It  is  just  so 
everywhere  as  far  as  I  can  perceive.  Everywhere, 
except  here  in  Illinois  and  possibly  Indiana,  one  or 
another  is  preferred  to  me,  but  there  is  no  positive 
objection.  This  is  the  ground  as  it  now  appears.  I 
believe  you  personally  know  C.  M.  Allen  of  Vin- 
cennes,  Indiana.  He  is  a  delegate  and  has  notified 
me  that  the  entire  Indiana  delegation  will  be  in 
Chicago  the  same  day  you  name,  Saturday,  the 
1 2th.  My  friends,  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  our  auditor, 
and  Judge  David  Davis,  will  probably  be  there 


[Facsimile] 


V 


.      V,    ,.'.y  ''/K.1 

/ 


-     /P     ^—         /-^'         /'; 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  147 

ready  to  confer  with  friends  from  other  States.  Let 
me  hear  from  you  again  when  anything  occurs. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  JAMES  GRANT  WILSON 

SPRINGFIELD,  May  2,  1860. 
MR.  JAMES  G.  WILSON. 

My  Dear  Friend:  I  am  greatly  obliged  for  the 
volume  of  your  friend  Fitz  Greene  Halleck's  poems. 
Many  a  month  has  passed  since  I  have  met  with 
anything  more  admirable  than  his  beautiful  lines 
on  Burns.  With  Alnwick  Castle,  Marco  Bozzaris, 
and  Red  Jacket,  I  am  also  much  pleased. 

It  is  wonderful  that  you  should  have  seen  and 
known  a  sister  of  Robert  Burns.  You  must  tell  me 
something  about  her  when  we  meet  again. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  May  26,  1860 
HON:  L.  TRUMBULL: 

My  dear  Sir:  I  have  received  three  letters  from 
you  since  the  nomination,  for  all  which  I  sincerely 
thank  you.  As  you  say,  if  we  can  not  get  our  State 
up  now,  I  do  not  see  when  we  can. 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


148      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

The  nominations  start  well  here,  and  everywhere 
else,  so  far  as  I  have  heard.  We  may  have  a  back 
set  yet.  Give  my  respects  to  the  Republican  Sena 
tors;  and  especially  to  Mr.  Hamlin,  Mr.  Seward, 
Gen.  Cameron,  and  Mr.  Wade.  Also  to  your  good 
wife. 

Write  again;  and  do  not  write  so  short  letters  as 
I  do. 

Your  friend,  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  WILLIAM  C.  BAKER 

SPRINGFIELD,  May  28,  1860. 
C.  BAKER, 
You  request  an  autograph  and  here  it  is. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  LEONARD  SWETT 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  May  30,  1860. 
HON.  L.  SWETT. 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  letter  written  to  go  to  New 
York  is  long,  but  substantially  right  I  believe.  You 
heard  Weed  conversed  with  me,  and  you  now  have 
Putnam's  letters.  It  can  not  have  failed  to  strike 
you  that  these  men  ask  for  just  the  same  thing  — 
fairness  and  fairness  only.  This  so  far  as  in  my 
power,  they  and  all  others  shall  have.  If  this  sug 
gests  any  modification  of  or  addition  to  your  letter 


To  Charles  C.  Nott  149 

make  it  accordingly.  Burn  this;  not  that  there  is 
anything  wrong  in  it,  but  because  it  is  best  not  to 
be  known  that  I  wrote  at  all. 

Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  CHARLES  C.  NOTT  x 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS, 
May  31,  1860. 

CHARLES  C.  NOTT,  ESQ. 

My  Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  23rd,  accompanied  by 
a  copy  of  the  speech  delivered  by  me  at  the  Cooper 
Institute,  and  upon  which  you  have  made  some 
notes  for  emendations,  was  received  some  days  ago. 
Of  course  I  would  not  object  to,  but  would  be 
pleased  rather,  with  a  more  perfect  edition  of  that 
speech. 

I  did  not  preserve  memoranda  of  my  investiga 
tions;  and  I  could  not  now  re-examine,  and  make 
notes,  without  an  expenditure  of  time  which  I  can 
not  bestow  upon  it.  Some  of  your  notes  I  do  not 
understand.  «- 

So  far  as  it  is  intended  merely  to  improve  in 
grammar  and  elegance  of  composition,  I  am  quite 
agreed;  but  I  do  not  wish  the  sense  changed,  or 
modified,  to  a  hair's  breadth.  And  you,  not  having 

1  Appointed  judge  of  the  Court  of  Claims  by  President  Lin 
coln  in  1865  and  made  chief  justice  of  the  court  by  President 
Cleveland  in  1896. 


Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

studied  the  particular  points  so  closely  as  I  have, 
can  not  be  quite  sure  that  you  do  not  change  the 
sense  when  you  do  not  intend  it.  For  instance,  in  a 
note  at  bottom  of  first  page,  you  propose  to  sub 
stitute  "Democrats"  for  "Douglas."  But  what  I 
am  saying  there  is  true  of  Douglas,  and  is  not  true 
of  "Democrats"  generally;  so  that  the  proposed 
substitution  would  be  a  very  considerable  blunder. 
Your  proposed  insertion  of  "residences"  though  it 
would  do  little  or  no  harm,  is  not  at  all  necessary  to 
the  sense  I  was  trying  to  convey.  On  page  5  your 
proposed  grammatical  change  would  certainly  do 
no  harm.  The  "impudently  absurd"  \  stick  to.  The 
striking  out  "he"  and  inserting  "we"  turns  the 
sense  exactly  wrong.  The  striking  out  "upon  it" 
leaves  the  sense  too  general  and  incomplete.  The 
sense  is  "act  as  they  acted  upon  that  question'9  — 
not  as  they  acted  generally. 

After  considering  your  proposed  changes  on  page 
7, 1  do  not  think  them  material,  but  I  am  willing  to 
defer  to  you  in  relation  to  them. 

On  page  9,  striking  out  "to  us"  is  probably  right. 
The  word  "lawyer's"  I  wish  retained.  The  word 
"Courts"  struck  out  twice,  I  wish  reduced  to 
"Court"  and  retained.  "Court"  as  a  collective 
noun  properly  governs  the  plural  "have"  as  I  un 
derstand.  "The"  preceding  "Court,"  in  the  latter 
case,  must  also  be  retained.  The  words  "quite," 
"as,"  and  "or"  on  the  same  page,  I  wish  retained. 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  151 

The  italicising,  and  quotation  marking,  I  have  no 
objection  to. 

As  to  the  note  at  bottom,  I  do  not  think  any  too 
much  is  admitted.  What  you  propose  on  page  n, 
is  right.  I  return  your  copy  of  the  speech,  together 
with  one  printed  here,  under  my  own  hasty  super 
vising.  That  at  New  York  was  printed  without  any 
supervision  by  me.  If  you  conclude  to  publish  a 
new  edition,  allow  me  to  see  the  proof-sheets. 

And  now  thanking  you  for  your  very  compli 
mentary  letter,  and  your  interest  for  me  generally, 
I  subscribe  myself. 

Your  friend  and  servant, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  May  31,  1860. 
HON.  L.  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  28th,  inclosing  that 
which  I  have  carefully  read,  and  now  return,  is  re 
ceived.  Please  say  to  Mr.  Hamlin  that  my  letter  of 
acceptance  is  already  written  and  forwarded  to 
Mr.  Ashmun,2  at  Springfield,  Mass.;  that  I  would 
send  him,  Mr.  Hamlin,  a  copy,  only  that  Mr.  Ash 
mun,  when  here,  sought  and  obtained  a  promise 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 

2  George  Ashmun  of  Massachusetts,  Chairman  of  the  Repub 
lican  National  Convention. 


152     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

from  me  that  I  would  furnish  a  copy  to  no  one ;  that 
the  letter  is  very  short,  and,  I  think,  conflicts  with 
none  of  Mr.  Morey's  suggestions,  except  that  it 
may  be  published  by  Mr.  Ashmun  before  the  Balti 
more  Convention.  Perhaps  it  would  be  best  for 
Mr.  Hamlin  and  yourself  not  to  communicate  the 
fact  that  the  letter  of  acceptance  is  already  written. 
I  am  glad  to  learn  the  Philadelphia  meeting  had 
force  enough  to  not  be  spoiled  by  the  storm.  I  look 
with  great  interest  for  your  letters  now. 
Your  friend  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  WILLIAM  A.  BUCKINGHAM  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLINOIS, 
June  4,  1860. 

HON.  W  A.  BUCKINGHAM 

My  Dear  Sir:  Your  kind  letter  of  congratulation 
was  duly  received,  and  I  beg  you  will  believe  that 
necessity  alone  has  delayed  the  acknowledgement 
of  its  receipt  so  long.  I  am  truly  glad  to  learn  that 
you  have  recovered  your  voice  and  that  your  gen 
eral  health  is  better. 

Please  present  my  respects  to  Mrs.  B.  and  believe 
me, 

Very  truly  yours, 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Governor  of  Connecticut,  1858-66.  Printed  by  the  courtesy 
of  Gen.  William  Appleton  Aiken,  of  Norwich,  Conn. 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  153 

To  JOSEPH  C.  ABBOTT 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  June  4,  1860. 

JOSEPH  C.  ABBOTT,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  22nd  was  duly  re 
ceived,  but,  till  now  I  have  not  found  leisure  to  so 
much  as  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  it. 

Of  course  I  very  well  remember  you;  and  I  shall 
be  pleased  to  hear  from  you  at  any  time. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  June  5,  1860 
HON.  L.  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  May  31,  inclosing  Judge 
Read's 2  letter,  is  received. 

I  see  by  the  papers  this  morning,  that  Mr.  Fill- 
more  refuses  to  go  with  us.  What  do  the  New- 
Yorkers  at  Washington  think  of  this  ?  Gov.  Reeder 
was  here  last  evening  direct  from  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  entirely  confident  of  that  State,  and  of  the 
general  result.  I  do  not  remember  to  have  heard 
Gen.  Cameron's  opinion  of  Penn.  Weed  was  here, 
and  saw  me;  but  he  showed  no  signs  whatever  of 
the  intriguer.  He  asked  for  nothing;  and  said  N.Y. 
is  safe,  without  condition. 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 

2  Judge  Read  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania. 


154     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Remembering  that  Peter  denied  his  Lord  with  an 
oath,  after  most  solemnly  protesting  that  he  never 
would,  I  will  not  swear  I  will  make  no  committals; 
but  I  do  think  I  will  not. 

Write  me  often.  I  look  with  great  interest  for 
your  letters  now. 

Yours  as  ever,  A.  LINCOLN 

To  CHARLES  LANMAN 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  June  9,  1860. 

CHARLES  LANMAN  ESQ., 

My  Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  4th  is  duly  received; 
and  I  shall  gratefully  accept  the  book  when  it  ar 
rives,  as  it  has  not  yet  done.  I  already  have  a  copy 
which  I  purchased  near  a  year  ago,  and  which  I 
have  found  both  interesting  and  valuable. 

I  thank  you  for  both  your  letter  and  the  book, 
and  shall  be  pleased  to  meet  you  at  any  time. 
Yours  respectfully, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  J.  E.  TILTON 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL., 
June  n,  1860. 

To  J.  E.  TILTON. 

Boston. 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  received  your  note  .  .  .  and  also 
the  book.  .  .  . 
I  have  not  yet  had  time  to  examine  the  book,  but 


To  George  W.  Lewis  155 

when  I  shall  have  done  so,  I  probably  shall  present 
it  it  [sic]  to  the  younger  Lincoln,  as  you  request. 
Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  JOSHUA  R.  GIDDINGS  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  June  26,  1860 
HON.  J.  R.  GIDDINGS. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  June  iQth  was  received  in 
due  course,  and  its  receipt  would  have  been  sooner 
acknowledged  but  for  illness  in  my  family.  The 
suggestions  you  make  are  very  important,  and  are 
duly  appreciated  by  me.  If  I  fail,  it  will  be  for  lack 
of  ability,  and  not  of  purpose. 

Your  note,  sent  by  Mr.  Tuck,  was  received,  and 
answered ;  but  as  you  make  no  mention  of  my  an 
swer,  I  fear  you  did  not  receive  it. 

Mrs.  L.  joins  me  in  remembrances  and  good 
wishes  for  you. 

Your  very  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  GEORGE  W.  LEWIS 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  June  30,  1860 
GEO.  W.  LEWIS,  ESQ., 

Dear  Sir:  Herewith  I  send  you  my  autograph, 
which  you  request. 

Yours  truly  A.  LINCOLN 

1  This  is  the  second  letter  to  Mr.  Giddings  after  Mr.  Lincoln's 
nomination  for  President.  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Jesse  W.  Weik. 


156     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  LEONARD  SWETT 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  July  16,  1860 

Dear  Swett:  Herewith  I  return  the  letters  of 
Messrs.  Putnam  and  Casey.  I  thank  you  for  send 
ing  them — in  the  main,  they  bring  good  news. 
And  yet  that  matter  mentioned  by  Mr.  Casey 
about  want  of  confidence  in  their  Central  commit 
tee  pains  me.  I  am  afraid  there  is  a  germ  of  diffi 
culty  in  it.  Will  not  the  men  thus  suspected,  and 
treated  as  proposed,  rebel,  and  make  a  dangerous 
explosion  ?  When  you  write  Mr.  Casey,  suggest  to 
him  that  great  caution  and  delicacy  of  action  is 
necessary  in  that  matter. 

I  would  like  to  see  you  and  the  Judge,  one  or 
both,  about  that  matter  of  your  going  to  Pennsyl 
vania. 

Yours,  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  FRANCIS  E.  SPINNER  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  July  27,  1860. 
HON.  F.  E.  SPINNER. 

Dear  Sir:  You  will  perhaps  be  pleased,  as  I  have 
been,  to  know  that  many  good  men  have  tendered 
me  substantially  the  same  advice  that  you  do  (ex- 

1  Member  of  Congress  from  New  York,  1855-61;  Treasurer 
of  the  United  States,  1861-75. 


To  George  G.  Fogg  157 

cepting  as  to  re-election)  and  that  no  single  man 
of  any  mark  has,  so  far,  tempted  me  to  a  contrary 
course.  .  .  . 

Yours  very  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  THOMAS  DONEY 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  July  30,  1860. 
THOMAS  DONEY,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  The  picture  (I  know  not  the  artistic 
designation)  was  duly  and  thankfully  received.  I 
consider  it  a  very  excellent  one;  though,  truth  to 
say,  I  am  a  very  indifferent  judge. 

The  receipt  of  it  should  have  been  acknowledged 
long  ago;  but  it  had  passed  from  my  mind  till  re 
minded  of  it  by  the  letter  of  our  friend,  Dr.  Dodson. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  GEORGE  G.  FOGG  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Aug.  16,  1860 
HON.  GEORGE  G.  FOGG. 

My  dear  Sir:  I  am  annoyed  some  by  the  printed 
paragraph  below,  in  relation  to  myself,  taken  from 
the  N.Y.  Herald's  correspondence  from  this  place 
of  August  8th. 

1  Then  a  member  of  the  Republican  National  Committee; 
afterwards  Minister  to  Switzerland  (1861-65)  and  Senator 
from  New  Hampshire  (1866-67).  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Judd 
Stewart,  Plainfield,  NJ. 


158     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

"  He  had,  he  said,  on  one  occasion  been  invited  to 
go  into  Kentucky  and  revisit  some  of  the  scenes 
with  whose  history  his  father  in  his  lifetime  had 
been  identified.  On  asking  by  letter  whether  Judge 
Lynch  would  be  present,  he  received  no  response; 
and  he  therefore  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
invitation  was  a  trap  laid  by  some  designing  person 
to  inveigle  him  into  a  slave  state  for  the  purpose  of 
doing  violence  to  his  person." 

This  is  decidedly  wrong.  I  did  not  say  it.  I  do 
not  impugn  the  correspondent.  I  suppose  he  mis 
conceived  the  statement  from  the  following  inci 
dent.  Soon  after  the  Chicago  nomination,  I  was 
written  to  by  a  highly  respectable  gentleman  of 
Harden  County,  Ky.,  inquiring  if  I  was  a  son  of 
Thomas  Lincoln,  whom  he  had  known  long  ago  in 
that  county.  I  answered  that  I  was,  and  that  I  was 
myself  born  there.  He  wrote  again,  and,  among 
other  things,  (did  not  invite  me)  but  simply  in 
quired  if  it  would  not  be  agreeable  to  me  to  revisit 
the  scenes  of  my  childhood.  I  replied  among  other 
things,  "It  would  indeed,  but  would  you  not 
Lynch  me?"  He  did  not  write  again. 

I  have  playfully  (and  never  otherwise)  related 
this  incident  several  times ;  and  I  suppose  I  did  so  to 
the  Herald  correspondent,  though  I  do  not  remem 
ber  it.  If  I  did,  it  is  all  that  I  did  say  from  which 
the  correspondent  could  have  inferred  his  state 
ment. 


To  George  Bliss  and  Others     159 

Now,  I  dislike,  exceedingly,  for  Kentuckians  to 
understand  that  I  am  charging  them  with  a  purpose 
to  inveigle  me,  and  do  violence  to  me.  Yet  I  can 
not  go  into  the  newspapers.  Would  not  the  editor 
of  the  Herald,  upon  being  shown  this  letter,  insert 
the  short  correction  which  you  find  upon  the  in 
closed  scrap  ? 

Please  try  him,  unless  you  perceive  some  suffi 
cient  reason  to  the  contrary.  In  no  event,  let  my 
name  be  publicly  used. 

Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN. 

Correction 

We  have  such  assurance  as  satisfies  us  that  our 
correspondent  writing  from  Springfield,  Ills.,  under 
date  of  Aug.  8  was  mistaken  in  representing  Mr. 
Lincoln  as  expressing  a  suspicion  of  a  design  to  in 
veigle  him  into  Kentucky  for  the  purpose  of  doing 
him  violence. 

Mr.  Lincoln  neither  entertains,  nor  has  intended 
to  express  any  such  suspicion. 

To  GEORGE  BLISS  AND  OTHERS  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  Aug.  22,  1860. 

To  MESSRS.  GEO.  BLISS  &  OTHERS,  MANAGERS  &c. 
Gentlemen:  Yours  of  the  8th  inviting  my  attend 
ance  at  your  National  Exhibition  of  Imported 

1  Original  owned  by  P.  F.  Madigan,  Esq. 


160     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Blood  &  American  breeds  of  Horses,  on  the  4th, 
5th,  6th  &  jth  days  of  September,  at  Springfield, 
Mass.,  was  received  in  due  course,  and  should  have 
been  answered  sooner. 

For  reasons  not  necessary  to  be  mentioned,  I  am 
constrained  to  decline  the  honor  which  you  so 
kindly  tender  me. 

Your  Obt.  Servant, 

A.   LINCOLN. 


To  GEORGE  G.  FOGG 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Aug.  29,  1860. 

HON.  GEORGE  G.  FOGG. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  23rd  was  only  received 
yesterday  evening. 

You  have  done  precisely  right  in  that  matter 
with  the  Herald.  Do  nothing  further  about  it.  Al 
though  it  wrongs  me,  and  annoys  me  some,  I  prefer 
letting  it  run  its  course,  to  getting  into  the  papers 
over  my  own  name.  I  regret  the  trouble  it  has 
given  you,  and  thank  you  also  for  having  performed 
your  part  so  cheerfully  and  correctly. 

What  you  say  of  the  Empire  state  is  of  a  piece 
with  all  the  news  I  received  from  there.  The  whole 
field  appears  reasonably  well. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  Anson  G.  Chester  161 

To  ANSON  G.  CHESTER1 

Private 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Sept  5,  1860 
ANSON  G.  CHESTER,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  1st  is  received.  The 
extract  upon  a  newspaper  slip  which  you  sent,  and 
which  I  herewith  return,  is  a  base  forgery,  so  far  as 
its  authorship  is  imputed  to  me.  I  never  said  any 
thing  like  it,  at  any  time  or  place.  I  do  not  rec 
ognize  it  as  anything  I  have  ever  seen  before, 
emanating  from  any  source.  I  wish  my  name  not 
to  be  used;  but  my  friends  will  be  entirely  safe  in 
denouncing  the  thing  as  a  forgery,  so  far  as  it  is 
ascribed  to  me. 

Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 

THE  CLIPPING 

Lincoln  on  Jefferson.  —  The  Macomb  (111.) 
Eagle  rakes  up  the  following  extract  from  a  speech 
made  by  Mr.  Lincoln  in  1844: 

Mr.  Jefferson  is  a  statesman  whose  praises  are 
never  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  democratic  party. 
Let  us  attend  to  this  uncompromising  friend  of 
freedom,  whose  name  is  continually  invoked 
against  the  Whig  party.  The  character  of  Jefferson 
was  repulsive.  Continually  puling  about  liberty, 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Thomas  R.  Proctor,  Utica,  X.Y. 


162     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

equality,  and  the  degrading  curse  of  slavery,  he 
brought  his  own  children  to  the  hammer,  and  made 
money  of  his  debaucheries.  Even  at  his  death  he 
did  not  manumit  his  numerous  offspring,  but  left 
them,  soul  and  body,  to  degradation  and  the  cart 
whip.  A  daughter  of  this  vaunted  champion  of 
democracy  was  sold  some  years  ago  at  public  auc 
tion  in  New  Orleans,  and  purchased  by  a  society  of 
gentlemen,  who  wished  to  testify  by  her  liberation 
their  admiration  of  the  statesman  who 

"Dreampt  of  freedom  in  a  slave's  embrace." 
This  single  line  I  have  quoted  gives  more  insight 
to  the  character  of  the  man  than  whole  volumes  of 
panegyric.  It  will  outlive  his  epitaph,  write  it  who 
may. 

To  ALEXANDER  K.  McCujRE  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.,  Sept.  6,  1860 
A.  K.  MCCLURE,  ESQ., 

My  dear  Sir:  Inclosed  I  send  you  a  copy  of  a 
letter  from  New  York,  stating  a  matter,  which,  if 
true,  deeply  concerns  our  interests  in  Pennsylvania. 
The  writer  does  not  wish  to  be  known;  but  some 
revelations  of  his  in  a  former  letter  have  subse 
quently  been  verified. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN 

1  Mr.  McClure  had  been  a  Lincoln  delegate  from  Pennsyl 
vania  to  the  Republican  Convention  of  1860  and  was  made  chair 
man  of  the  Republican  State  Committee. 


To  Nathaniel  Grigsby  163 

To  NATHANIEL  GRIGSBY  1 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS., 
Sept.  20,  1860. 

NATHANIEL  GRIGSBY,  ESQ., 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  letter  of  July  iQth  was  re 
ceived  only  a  few  days  ago  having  been  mailed  by 
your  brother  at  Gentryville,  Ind.,  on  the  I2th  of 
the  month.  A  few  days  ago,  Gov.  Wood  of  Quincy 
told  me  he  saw  you,  and  that  you  said  you  had 
written  me.  I  had  not  then  received  your  letter. 

Of  our  three  families  who  removed  from  Indiana 
together,  my  father,  Squire  Hall,  and  John  D. 
Johnston,  are  dead,  and  all  the  rest  of  us  are  yet 
living,  of  course  the  younger  ones  are  grown  up, 
marriages  contracted  and  new  ones  born.  I  have 
three  boys  now,  the  oldest  of  which  is  seventeen 
years  of  age. 

There  is  now  a  Republican  electoral  ticket  in 
Missouri,  so  that  you  can  vote  for  me  if  your  neigh 
bors  will  let  you.  I  would  advise  you  not  to  get 
into  any  trouble  about  it.  Give  my  kindest  regards 
to  your  brother  Charlie.  Within  the  present  year 
I  have  had  two  letters  from  John  Gorden,  who 
is  living  somewhere  in  Missouri,  I  forget  exactly 
where,  and  he  says  his  father  and  mother  are  still 
living  near  him. 

Yours  very  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Brother  of  Aaron  Grigsby,  who  married  Lincoln's  sister. 
The  original  is  owned  by  Mr.  James  W.  Grigsby,  of  Attica,  Kans. 


164     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  MRS.  M.  J.  GREEN 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Sep  22  1860. 
MRS.  M.  J.  GREEN 

My  dear  Madam:  Your  kind  congratulatory 
letter,  of  August,  was  received  in  due  course,  and 
should  have  been  answered  sooner.  The  truth  is 
I  have  never  corresponded  much  with  ladies;  and 
hence  I  postpone  writing  letters  to  them,  as  a 
business  which  I  do  not  understand.  I  can  only 
say  now  I  thank  you  for  the  good  opinion  you 
express  of  me,  fearing,  at  the  same  time,  I  may  not 
be  able  to  maintain  it  through  life. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  CHARLES  C.  Norr 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS., 
Sept  22,  1860. 

CHARLES  C.  NOTT,  ESQ., 

My  Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  iyth  was  duly  re 
ceived.  The  250  copies  have  not  yet  arrived.  I  am 
greatly  obliged  to  you  for  what  you  have  done,  and 
what  you  propose  to  do. 

The  "Abraham  Baldwin  letter"  in  substance 
was  that  I  could  not  find  the  Journal  of  the  Con 
federation  Congress  for  the  session  at  which  was 
passed  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  and  that  in  stating 
Mr.  Baldwin  had  voted  for  its  passage,  I  had  relied 


To  L.  Montgomery  Bond       165 

on  a  communication  of  Mr.  Greeley,  over  his  own 
signature,  published  in  the  New  York  Weekly 
Tribune  of  October  15,  1859.  If  you  will  turn  to 
that  paper,  you  will  there  see  that  Mr.  Greeley 
apparently  copies  from  the  Journal,  and  places  the 
name  of  Mr.  Baldwin  among  those  of  the  men  who 
voted  for  the  measure. 

Still,  if  the  Journal  itself  shows  differently,  of 
course  it  is  right. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  L.  MONTGOMERY  BOND  l 

Private 
SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Oct.  15,  1860 

L.  MONTGOMERY  BOND. 

My  Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  1st  has  been  at  hand 
some  days.  You  ask,  "In  the  event  of  your  election 
to  the  Presidency,  and  of  the  election  of  a  majority 
of  Republicans  to  the  next  Congress,  would  you 
favor  radicalism,  to  embitter  still  more  the  feelings 
of  our  Southern  brethren  ? "  I  certainly  am  in  no 
temper,  and  have  no  purpose  to  embitter  the  feel 
ings  of  the  south;  but  whether  I  am  inclined  to  such 
a  course  as  would  in  fact  embitter  their  feelings, 

1  The  last  sentence  of  this  letter  was  printed  in  Works,  Nico- 
lay  and  Hay,  Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  vi,  62,  and  in  Writings,  Lapsley, 
v,  192. 


1 66     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

you  can  better  judge  by  my  published  speeches 
than  any  thing  I  would  say  in  a  short  letter,  if  I 
were  inclined  now,  as  I  am  not,  to  define  my  posi 
tion  anew. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  DAVID  TURNHAM  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Oct.  23,  1860. 

DAVID  TURNHAM,  ESQ., 

My  dear  old  friend:  Your  kind  letter  of  the  17th 
is  received.  I  am  indeed  very  glad  to  learn  you  are 
still  living  and  well.  I  well  remember  when  you  and 
I  last  met,  after  a  separation  of  fourteen  years,  at 
the  cross-road  voting  place  in  the  fall  of  1844.  It  is 
now  sixteen  years  more  and  we  are  both  no  longer 
young  men.  I  suppose  you  are  a  grandfather;  and 
I,  though  married  much  later  in  life,  have  a  son 
nearly  grown. 

I  would  like  much  to  visit  the  old  home,  and  old 
friends  of  my  boyhood,  but  I  fear  the  chance  for 
doing  so  is  not  very  good. 

Your  friend  and  sincere  well-wisher 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  A  boyhood  friend  of  Lincoln's  at  Gentryville,  Ind.  Original 
owned  by  G.  W.  Turnham,  Esq.,  Evansville,  Ind. 


To  Park  Benjamin  167 

To  GEORGE  G.  FOGG 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS., 
Oct.  31,  1860. 

GEORGE  G.  FOGG,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  I  sincerely  thank  you  for  yours 
of  the  26th.  It  is  the  first  I  have  had  from 
any  of  our  knowing  friends  at  the  City  for  several 
days. 

Allow  me  to  beg  that  you  will  not  live  in  much 
apprehension  of  my  precipitating  a  letter  upon  the 
public. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  PARK  BENJAMIN 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  Nov.  19,  1860 

PARK  BENJAMIN,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  kind  note  of  congratulation 
was  received  in  due  course;  and  you  are  not  disap 
pointed  in  the  hope  you  express  that  I  may  set 
some  value  upon  it. 

That  my  political  position,  and  personal  history 
are  such  as  to  meet  the  unselfish  approval  of  one 
possessing  your  high  literary  fame  and  character, 
is  matter  of  sincere  pride  with  me. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


168     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

FOR  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  1 

[The  following  autographic  document  begins 
with  a  memorandum  in  Lyman  Trumbull's  hand 
writing.] 

Furnished  by  Mr.  Lincoln  13  copied  into  my  remarks  to  be 
made  at  the  celebration  at  Springfield,  III.  Nov.  20, 1860 

I  have  labored  in,  and  for,  the  Republican  or 
ganization  with  entire  confidence  that  whenever  it 
shall  be  in  power,  each  and  all  of  the  States  will 
be  left  in  as  complete  control  of  their  own  affairs 
respectively,  and  at  as  perfect  liberty  to  choose, 
and  employ,  their  own  means  of  protecting  prop 
erty,  and  preserving  peace  and  order  within  their 
respective  limits,  as  they  have  ever  been  under  any 
administration.  Those  who  have  voted  for  Mr. 
Lincoln,  have  expected,  and  still  expect  this;  and 
they  would  not  have  voted  for  him  had  they  ex 
pected  otherwise.  I  regard  it  as  extremely  fortu 
nate  for  the  peace  of  the  whole  country,  that  this 
point,  upon  which  the  Republicans  have  been  so 
long,  and  so  persistently  misrepresented,  is  now  to 
be  brought  to  a  practical  test,  and  placed  beyond 
the  possibility  of  doubt.  Disunionists  per  se,  are 
now  in  hot  haste  to  get  out  of  the  Union,  precisely 
because  they  perceive  they  can  not,  much  longer, 
maintain  apprehension  among  the  Southern  people 
that  their  homes,  and  firesides,  and  lives,  are  to  be 
1  See  note  on  p.  66. 


To  Henry  C.  Whitney          169 

endangered  by  the  action  of  the  Federal  Govern 
ment.  With  such  "Now,  or  never99  is  the  maxim. 

I  am  rather  glad  of  this  military  preparation  in 
the  South.  It  will  enable  the  people  the  more  easily 
to  suppress  any  uprisings  there,  which  their  mis 
representations  of  purposes  may  have  encouraged. 

To  FRED  W.  FRENCH 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  Nov  21,  1860. 

FRED  W.  FRENCH,  ESQ., 

Dear  Sir:  Herewith  I  send  you  my  autograph 
which  you  request. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN 

To  HENRY  C.  WHITNEY  l 

CHICAGO,  Nov.  26,  1860 
H.  C.  WHITNEY,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  Your  note  in  behalf  of  Mr. 
Alshuler  was  received.  I  gave  him  a  sitting. 

I  regret  not  having  an  opportunity  to  see  more 
of  you. 

Please  present  my  respects  to  Mrs.  W.  &  to  your 
good  Father  and  Mother. 

Yours  very  truly  A.  LINCOLN 

H.  C.  WHITNEY,  ESQ. 
Present. 

1  From  a  facsimile  in  Henry  C.  Whitney's  Life  on  the  Circuit 
with  Lincoln ,  facing  p.  468. 


170     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

FOR  JOHN  H.  LITTLEFIELD  1 

SPRINGFIELD  Nov.  30,  1860 

I  will  pay  five  dollars  to  whoever  will  loan  that 
sum  to  the  bearer,  Mr.  Littlefield. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL 

Private 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL., 
Dec  8,  1860. 

HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL, 

My  Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  2nd  is  received.  I 
regret  exceedingly  the  anxiety  of  our  friends  in 
New  York,  of  whom  you  write ;  but  it  seems  to  me 
the  sentiment  in  that  state  which  sent  a  united 
delegation  to  Chicago  in  favor  of  Gov.  Seward 
ought  not  and  must  not  be  snubbed,  as  it  would  be, 
by  the  omission  to  offer  Gov.  S.  a  place  in  the 
Cabinet.  I  mil  myself  take  care  of  the  question  of 
"corrupt  jobs"  and  see  that  justice  is  done  to  all 
our  friends  of  whom  you  wrote  as  well  as  others. 

I  have  written  Mr.  Hamlin  on  this  very  subject  of 
Gov.  S.  and  requested  him  to  consult  fully  with  you. 

He  will  show  you  my  note  and  enclosures  to  him ; 
and  then  please  act  as  therein  requested. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  A  student  in  Lincoln  and  Herndon's  law  office  in  1859-60. 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  171 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 
Private  y  Confidential 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Dec.  10.  1860 
HON.  L.  TRUMBULL. 

My  dear  Sir:  Let  there  be  no  compromise  on  the 
question  of  extending  slavery.  If  there  be,  all  our 
labor  is  lost,  and,  ere  long,  must  be  done  again. 
The  dangerous  ground  —  that  into  which  some  of 
our  friends  have  a  hankering  to  run —  is  Pop.  Sov. 
Have  none  of  it.  Stand  firm.  The  tug  has  to  come, 
&  better  now  than  any  time  hereafter. 
Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  2 

Confidential 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Dec.  17.  1860 
HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  inclosing  Mr.  Wade's  letter, 
which  I  herewith  return,  is  received. 

If  any  of  our  friends  do  prove  false,  and  fix  up  a 
compromise  on  the  territorial  question,  I  am  for 
fighting  again  —  that  is  all.  It  is  but  repetition  for 
me  to  say  I  am  for  an  honest  inforcement  of  the 
Constitution  —  fugitive  slave  clause  included. 

1  See  note  on  p.  66.  *  See  note  on  p.  66. 


172     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Mr.  Gilmer1  of  N.C.  wrote  me;  and  I  answered 
confidentially,  inclosing  my  letter  to  Gov.  Corwin, 
to  be  delivered  or  not,  as  he  might  deem  prudent. 
I  now  inclose  you  a  copy  of  it. 

[The  signature  has  been  cut  off,  probably  for  an 
autograph-seeker.] 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL 

Confidential 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL., 
Dec.  2ist,  1860. 

HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL. 

My  Dear  Sir:  Thurlow  Weed  was  with  me  nearly 
all  day  yesterday,  and  left  last  night  with  three 
short  resolutions  which  I  drew  up,  and  which,  or 
the  substance  of  which,  I  think,  would  do  much 
good  if  introduced  and  unanimously  supported  by 
our  friends.  They  do  not  touch  the  territorial  ques 
tion.  Mr.  Weed  goes  to  Washington  with  them; 
and  says  that  he  will  first  of  all  confer  with  you  and 
Mr.  Hamlin.  I  think  it  would  be  best  for  Mr.  Sew- 
ard  to  introduce  them  and  Mr.  Weed  will  let  him 
know  that  I  think  so.  Show  this  to  Mr.  Hamlin, 
but  beyond  him  do  not  let  my  name  be  known  in 
the  matter. 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  John  A.  Gilmer,  Member  of  Congress.  He  was  suggested 
for  Lincoln's  cabinet. 


To  Lyman  Trumbull  173 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  l 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Dec.  24,  1860 

HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL 

My  dear  Sir.  I  expect  to  be  able  to  offer  Mr. 
Blair  a  place  in  the  cabinet;  but  I  can  not,  as  yet,  be 
committed  on  the  matter,  to  any  extent  whatever. 

Despatches  have  come  here  two  days  in  succes 
sion,  that  the  Forts  in  South  Carolina  will  be  sur 
rendered  by  the  order,  or  consent  at  least,  of  the 
President. 

I  can  scarcely  believe  this;  but  if  it  prove  true,  I 
will,  if  our  friends  at  Washington  concur,  announce 
publicly  at  once  that  they  are  to  be  retaken  after 
the  inauguration.  This  will  give  the  Union  Men  a 
rallying  cry,  and  preparation  will  proceed  some 
what  on  their  side,  as  well  as  on  the  other. 
Yours  as  ever 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  LYMAN  TRUMBULL  * 

Very  Confidential 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.  Jan.  7,  1861. 

HON.  LYMAN  TRUMBULL. 

My  Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  3d  is  just  received. 
.  .  .  Gen.  C.  has  not  been  offered  the  Treasury  and 

1  See  note  on  p.  66. 

8  From  Horace  White's  The  Life  of  Lyman  Trumbull,  p.  145. 


174     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

I  think  will  not  be.  It  seems  to  me  not  only  highly 
proper  but  a  necessity  that  Gov.  Chase  shall  take 
that  place.  His  ability,  firmness,  and  purity  of 
character  produce  this  propriety;  and  that  he  alone 
can  reconcile  Mr.  Bryant  and  his  class  to  the  ap 
pointment  of  Gov.  S.  to  the  State  Department  pro 
duces  the  necessity.  But  then  comes  the  danger 
that  the  protectionists  of  Pennsylvania  will  be  dis 
satisfied;  and  to  clear  this  difficulty  Gen.  C.  must 
be  brought  to  cooperate.  He  would  readily  do  this 
for  the  War  Department.  But  then  comes  the 
fierce  opposition  to  his  having  any  Department, 
threatening  even  to  send  charges  into  the  Senate 
to  procure  his  rejection  by  that  body.  Now,  what 
I  would  most  like,  and  what  I  think  he  should  pre 
fer  too,  under  the  circumstances,  would  be  to  re 
tain  his  place  in  the  Senate,  and  if  that  place  has 
been  promised  to  another  let  that  other  take  a 
respectable  and  reasonably  lucrative  place  abroad. 
Also,  let  Gen.  C/s  friends  be,  with  entire  fairness, 
cared  for  in  Pennsylvania  and  elsewhere.  I  may 
mention  before  closing  that  besides  the  very  fixed 
opposition  to  Gen.  C.  he  is  more  amply  recom 
mended  for  a  place  in  the  Cabinet  than  any  other 
man.  .  .  . 

Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  George  D.  Prentice         175 

To  LEONARD  SWETT 

SPRINGFIELD,  Jan.  9,  1861. 

HON.  L.  SWETT. 

Dear  Sir:  This  introduces  Mr.  William  Yates,  who 

visits  Bloomington  on  some  business  matters.  He 

is  pecuniarily  responsible  for  anything  he  will  say; 

and  in  fact,  for  anything  he  will  say  on  any  subject. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  MRS.  C.  W.  PRATT 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  Jan.  26,  1861. 

MRS.  C.  W.  PRATT. 

Dear  Madam:  Herewith  I  send  you  my  auto 
graph,  which  you  request. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  GEORGE  D.  PRENTICE  l 

Private. 
SPRINGFIELD,  ILLS.  Feb.  2,  1861. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  3ist  ult.  requesting  a 
copy  of  the  inaugural  is  received.  I  have  the  docu 
ment  blocked  out;  but  in  the  now  rapidly  shifting 

1  The  able  editor  of  the  Louisville  Journal,  a  leading  Whig 
newspaper  which  Lincoln  had  read  from  his  youth.  He  sup 
ported  the  Union  when  the  War  broke  out. 


176     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

scenes,  I  shall  have  to  hold  it  subject  to  revision  up 
to  near  the  time  of  delivery.  So  soon  as  it  shall  take 
what  I  can  regard  as  its  final  shape,  I  shall  remem 
ber,  if  I  can,  to  send  you  a  copy. 
Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  MARK  W.  DELAHAY  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
March  I3th,  1861. 

M.  W.  DELAHAY,  ESQ. 

My  dear  Sir:  You  will  start  for  Kansas  before  I 
see  you  again:  and  when  I  saw  you  a  moment  this 
morning,  I  forgot  to  ask  you  about  some  of  the 
Kansas  appointments,  which  I  intended  to  do. 

If  you  care  much  about  them,  you  can  write,  as 
I  think  I  shall  not  make  the  appointments  just 
yet. 

Yours  in  haste, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

ENDORSEMENT 

I  wish  Mr.  Thomas  Musten  and  Mr.  Jones, 
named  within,  may  retain  their  places  for  the 
present  at  least. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MARCH  25,  1861. 

1  Printed  in  Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay,  1894,  n,  10,  and  same, 
Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  vi,  191,  with  the  name  suppressed. 


To  Secretary  Cameron          177 

To  SECRETARY  WELLES 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
March  29,  1861. 

HONORABLE  SEC.  OF  THE  NAVY, 

Sir:  I  desire  that  an  expedition  to  move  by  sea 
be  got  ready  to  sail  as  early  as  the  6th  of  April 
next,  the  whole  according  to  memorandum  en 
closed;  and  that  you  cooperate  with  the  Secretary 
of  War  for  that  object. 

Your  obedient  servant,  A.  LINCOLN 

MEMORANDA 

Navy  Department.  —  The  Pocahontas  at  Nor 
folk,  the  Pawnee  at  Washington,  and  revenue  cut 
ter  Harriet  Lane  at  New  York,  to  be  ready  for  sea 
with  one  month's  stores. 

Three  hundred  seamen  to  be  ready  for  leaving 
the  receiving  ship  at  New  York. 

War  Department.  —  Two  hundred  men  at  New 
York  ready  to  leave  garrison.  One  year's  stores  to 
be  put  in  a  portable  form. 

To  SECRETARY  CAMERON  l 

Draft  of  an  unsigned  letter  written  but  not  officially  transmitted 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
March  1861. 

To  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR, 

Sir:  You  will  favor  me  by  issuing  an  order  de 
tailing  Lieut.  E.  E.  Ellsworth  of  the  ist  Dragoons, 

1  Copy  furnished  by  Mr.  Judd  Stewart. 


178     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

for  special  duty  as  Adjutant  and  Inspector  General 
of  militia  affairs,  for  the  United  States,  and  in  so 
far  as  existing  laws  will  admit,  charge  him  with  the 
transaction,  under  your  direction,  of  all  business 
pertaining  to  the  militia,  to  be  conducted  as  a  sepa 
rate  bureau  of  which  Lieut.  Ellsworth  will  be  chief; 
with  instructions  to  take  measures  for  promoting 
a  uniform  system  of  organization,  drill,  equipment, 
etc.,  of  the  United  States  militia,  and  to  prepare  a 
system  of  instruction  for  the  militia,  to  be  dis 
tributed  to  the  several  states.  You  will  please  as 
sign  him  suitable  office  rooms,  furniture,  etc.,  and 
provide  him  with  a  clerk  and  messenger,  and  fur 
nish  him  such  facilities  in  the  way  of  printing,  sta 
tionery,  access  to  records,  etc.,  as  he  may  desire  for 
the  successful  prosecution  of  his  duties;  and  also 
provide,  if  you  please,  in  such  manner  as  will  best 
answer  the  purpose,  for  a  monthly  payment  to 
Lieut.  Ellsworth,  for  this  extra  duty,  sufficient  to 
make  his  pay  and  emoluments  equal  that  of  a  Major 
of  Cavalry. 

To  POSTMASTER-GENERAL  BLAIR  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION. 
April  n,  1861. 

HON.  P.  M.  G. 

Sir  —  Has  a  Post-Master  been  appointed,  as  yet, 
at  Covington,  Ky.  Col.  Carpenter  wishes  John  S. 

1  From  a  facsimile  in  Helen  Nicolay's  Personal  Traits  of  Abra 
ham  Lincoln,  p.  186. 


To  Attorney-General  Bates     179 

Scott  to  be  appointed.  He  says  Scott  is  a  Douglas 
Union-man.  I  know  nothing  as  to  the  propriety  of 
this;  but  write  to  keep  a  promise. 

LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  CHASE  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
April  n,  1861. 

HON.  S.  P.  CHASE. 

Dear  Sir:  W.  W.  Danenhower  is  the  only  marked 
representative  of  the  American  organization  in  Illi 
nois,  who  cooperated  with  us  in  1858  and  1860,  and 
who  is  now  asking  anything  here.  He  was  very 
serviceable  to  us  then,  and  is  very  needy  now. 

Can  anything  be  found  for  him  —  permanent  or 
temporary  ? 

Please  try. 

Yours  very  truly,  A.  LINCOLN 

To  ATTORNEY-GENERAL  BATES 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
April  12,  1861. 

HON.  ATTY.  GENERAL, 

My  dear  Sir:  On  examination  of  papers,  and  full 
consideration,  I  have  concluded  to  appoint  Earl 
Bile,  Marshal  for  the  Northern  District  of  Ohio. 

Please  send  me  the  commission. 

Yours  truly  A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Joseph  A.  McAleenan,  New  York. 


i8o     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


To  SECRETARY  SMITH 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  April  13,  1861. 

SECRETARY  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 

Dear  Sir:  Send  Commissions  as  follows :  Register 
of  Land  Office  at  Sante  Fe,  N.M.,  Joel  Houghton, 
in  place  of  O.  H.  Perry  Richardson,  removed. 

Indian  Agent  at  Sante  Fe,  John  Ward,  in  place 
of  Silas  Kendrick,  removed. 

Indian  Agent,  Ramon  Luna,  in  place  of  John  L. 
Russell,  removed. 

Indian  Agent,  Jose  Antonio  Maurinares,  in  place 
of  Diego  Archuletta,  removed. 

If  you  and  Mr.  Dole  approve  the  above,  let  the 
Commissions  be  sent. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  SECRETARY  WELLES  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
April  23,  1861. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  NAVY, 

Dear  Sir:  I  think  I  saw  three  vessels  go  up  to  the 
Navy  Yard  just  now.  Will  you  please  send  down 
and  learn  what  they  are  ? 

Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Joseph  A.  McAleenan,  New  York. 


To  Secretary  Welles  181 

To  POSTMASTER-GENERAL  BLAIR 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
April  24,  1861. 

HON.  P.  M.  GENERAL, 

My  dear  Sir:  Near  a  week  ago,  it  was  settled  for 
Cornelius  Walborn  to  be  Post-Master  at  Phila 
delphia.  Has  the  actual  appointment  been  made  ? 
I  have  the  papers  in  the  case  from  your  Depart 
ment  lying  by  me,  and  will  sign  and  send  them 
over,  if  you  say  so. 

Your  obed't  Serv't, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  WELLES 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  April  25,  1861. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  NAVY, 

My  dear  Sir:  Francis  A.  Hoffmann,  our  Lieut 
Governor  of  Illinois  has  an  application  on  file  for 
his  son  Francis  to  be  appointed  to  the  Naval 
School,  but  finds  he  is  too  old.  He  therefore  wishes 
to  substitute  the  name  of  a  younger  son  —  Julius 
Hoffmann  —  who  is  now  but  sixteen.  I  wish  this 
appointment  made  so  soon  as  it  can  be  consistently 
with  what  I  have  already  said  in  other  cases. 

Please  keep  me  reminded  of  it. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


1 82     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  SECRETARY 
SEWARD 

Col.  Lander  is  a  valuable  man  to  us.  Will  Gen'l 
Scott  see  him  a  few  minutes  and  consider  the  feasi 
bility  of  his  plans? * 

A.  LINCOLN 

MAY  4,  1861. 

To  SECRETARY  CHASE  9 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
May  7,  1861. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  TREASURY. 

My  dear  Sir:  You  may  remember  that  John  S. 
Gallaher,  a  worthy  Virginia  gentleman,  has  been 
and  is  an  applicant  for  an  Auditorship  in  your  De 
partment.  He  now  writes  a  friend  here  that  he  un 
derstands  that  the  place  of  gth  Auditor  has  been 
made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  a  North  Caro 
linian.  If  this  is  true,  might  not  Mr.  Gallaher  have 
the  place?3 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Col.  Lander  had  a  project  of  raising  a  Virginia  regiment. 

2  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Joseph  A.  McAleenan. 

3  John  C.  Underwood  of  Virginia  received  the  appointment, 
serving  from  July  31,  1861,  to  Aug.  31,  1863. 


To  Secretary  Cameron          183 

To  JOSEPH  H.  BARRETT,  Commissioner  of 
Pensions 1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
May  8,  1861 

HON.  COMR  OF  PENSIONS, 

My  dear  Sir:  Once  more  I  ask  you  to  find  a 
clerkship  for  a  man  of  your  own  name  —  O.  D. 
Barret,  of  Oswego  Co.,  New  York. 
Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  CAMERON  2 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
May  21,  1861 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

My  dear  Sir:  —  Why  cannot  Colonel  Small's 
Philadelphia  regiment  be  received  ?  I  sincerely  wish 
it  could.  There  is  something  strange  about  it.  Give 
these  gentlemen  an  interview,  and  take  their  regi 
ment. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  From  a  facsimile  in  Munsey's  Magazinf,  xn,  591  (Mar., 
1895),  after  the  original  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Lawrence 
Mendenhall. 

*  Printed  in  Writings,  Lapsley  ed.,  v,  308. 


184     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  COMMANDER  JOHN  A.  DAHLGREN * 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
May  23,  1861. 

CAPT.  DAHLGREN. 

My  dear  Sir:  —  Allow  me  to  introduce  Col.  J.  A. 
McClernand,  M.  C.  of  my  own  district  in  Illinois. 
If  he  should  desire  to  visit  Fortress  Monroe, 
please  introduce  him  to  the  captain  of  one  of 
the  vessels  in  our  service,  and  pass  him  down 
and  back. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  GEN.  LORENZO  THOMAS  2 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
May  27,  1861. 

GEN.  THOMAS, 

The  three  gentleman  who  will  hand  you  this 
note,  belong  to  an  Artillery  Company  at  Baltimore 
who  wish  to  get  into  the  United  States  Service  .  .  . 
and  .  .  .  if  you  advise  it,  I  will  receive  them.  I  hate 
to  reject  any  offer  from  what  is  called  a  Southern 

State 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Printed  in  Writings,  Lapsley  ed.,  v,  309. 

2  The  Adjutant-General. 


To  Secretary  Chase  185 

To  SECRETARY  CAMERON  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
May  30,  1861. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

My  dear  Sir  —  Colonel  Julian  Allen,  a  Polish 
gentleman,  naturalized,  proposes  raising  a  regi 
ment  of  our  citizens  of  his  nationality,  to  serve  in 
our  army.  He  proposes  getting  them  from  the  dif 
ferent  states,  without  particular  order,  as  can  be 
most  conveniently  done,  and  organizing  them  here, 
so  that  they,  as  a  regiment,  shall  hail  from  no  par 
ticular  state.  Mr.  Allen  is  highly  recommended,  as 
you  will  see  by  his  testimonials. 

If  he  so  raises  and  tenders  a  regiment,  I  am  in 
favor  of  accepting  it,  unless  there  be  some  objec 
tion  which  does  not  occur  to  me. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  SECRETARY  CHASE 

Endorsement 

HON.  SEC.  OF  TREASURY, 

If  it  is  determined,  as  I  suppose,  that  Mr.  Mul- 
ler2  be  appointed,  let  it  be  done  at  once;  as  by  the 
above  it  appears  to  be  necessary. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN 

MAY  31,  1861. 

1  In  Alvah  P.  French's  collection.  a  James  N.  Muller. 


186     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  GEN.  JAMES  W.  RIPLEY  ! 

Will  Gen.  Ripley  please  consider  whether  this 
Musket-shell  would  be  a  valuable  missile  in  battle  ? 

JUNE  2, 1861.  A.  LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  WELLES  * 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
June  17,  1861. 

HON.  SEC.  OF  NAVY, 

My  dear  Sir:  General  Rousseau  introduces  to  me 
Charles  E.  Anderson  whom  he  wishes  to  have  ap 
pointed  Paymaster  in  the  Navy.  As  I  have  no 
doubt  of  his  fitness  for  the  place,  and  as  the  ap 
pointment  would  be  a  Kentucky  appointment,  I 
think  it  ought  to  be  made  as  soon  as  it  consistently 
can. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 


To  NINIAN  W.  EDWARDS  3 

WASHINGTON,  D.C.,  June  19,  1861. 

HON.  N.  W.  EDWARDS 

My  dear  Sir:  It  pains  me  to  hear  you  speak  of 
being  ruined  in  your  pecuniary  affairs.  I  still  hope 

1  Chief  of  Ordnance. 

z  Original  owned  by  Mrs.  Nellie  Anderson,  Greencastle,  Ind. 
Copy  furnished  by  Jesse  W.  Weik,  Esq. 

8  A  brother-in-law  of  Mrs.  Lincoln  and  a  lawyer  and  public 


To  Secretary  Cameron          187 

you  are  injured  only,  and  not  ruined.  When  you 
wrote  me  some  time  ago  in  reference  to  looking  up 
something  in  the  Departments  here,  I  thought  I 
would  inquire  into  the  thing  and  write  you,  but  the 
extraordinary  pressure  upon  me  diverted  me  from 
it,  and  soon  it  passed  out  of  my  mind.  The  thing 
you  proposed,  it  seemed  to  me,  I  ought  to  under 
stand  myself  before  it  was  set  on  foot  by  my  direc 
tion  or  permission ;  and  I  really  had  no  time  to  make 
myself  acquainted  with  it  —  nor  have  I  yet.  And 
yet  I  am  unwilling,  of  course,  that  you  should  be 
deprived  of  a  chance  to  make  something,  if  it  can 
be  done  without  injustice  to  the  Government,  or 
to  any  individual.  If  you  choose  to  come  here  and 
point  out  to  me  how  this  can  be  done,  I  shall  not 
only  not  object,  but  shall  be  gratified  to  be  able  to 
oblige  you. 

Your  friend  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  SECRETARY  CAMERON  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  June  20,  1861. 
My  dear  Sir:  —  Since  you  spoke  to  me  yesterday 
about  General  J.  H.  Lane,  of  Kansas,  I  have  been 
reflecting  upon  the  subject,  and  have  concluded 

official  of  Illinois.  Lincoln  appointed  him  captain  commissary  of 
subsistence  in  August,  1861.  Printed,  without  the  first  two  sen 
tences,  in  Writings,  Lapsley  ed.,  v,  313. 
1  Printed  in  Writings,  Lapsley  ed.,  v,  314. 


i88     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

that  we  need  the  service  of  such  a  man  out  there  at 
once;  that  we  had  better  appoint  him  a  brigadier- 
general  of  volunteers  to-day,  and  send  him  off 
with  such  authority  to  raise  a  force  (I  think  two 
regiments  better  than  three,  but  as  to  this  I  am  not 
particular)  as  you  think  will  get  him  into  actual 
work  quickest.  Tell  him,  when  he  starts,  to  put  it 
through  —  not  to  be  writing  or  telegraphing  back 
here,  but  put  it  through. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

[Endorsement] 

General  Lane  has  been  authorized  to  raise  two 
additional  regiments  of  volunteers. 

SIMON  CAMERON, 
Secretary  of  War. 

To  COL.  WARD  H.  LAMON  l 

WASHINGTON,  D.C. 
June  25,  1861. 

COL.  W.  H.  LAMON: 

My  dear  Sir,  —  I  spoke  to  the  Secretary  of  War 
yesterday,  and  he  consents,  and  so  do  I,  that  as 
fast  as  you  get  Companies,  you  may  procure  a 

1  From  Ward  Hill  Lamon's  Recollections  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
2d  ed.,  Washington,  1911,  p.  xxix. 


To  Orville  H.  Browning        189 

U.S.  officer,  and  have  them  mustered  in.   Have 
this  done  quietly;  because  we  cannot  do  the  labor 
of  adopting  it  as  a  general  practice. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  THE  TREASURY  DEPARTMENT  1 

I  desire  that  the  Treasury  Department  will  de 
vise  a  system  or  plan  for  disbursing  the  appropria 
tion  mentioned  within,  and  if,  according  to  said 
plan,  disbursing  agents  are  to  be  appointed  I  shall 
be  ready  to  appoint  them,  on  the  recommendation 
of  the  Department.  In  case  of  Indiana,  I  am  sat 
isfied  with  Jonathan  S.  Hawry,  named  within  as 
disbursing  agent. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

JULY  19,  1861 


To  ORVILLE  H.  BROWNING 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
July  20,  1861. 

HON.  O.  H.  BROWNING. 

My  dear  Sir:  To-day  I  send  to  the  Senate  the 
arrangement  made  through  Mr.  Williams  with  the 
Delaware  Indians  asking  their  advice  as  to  the 
making  a  formal  treaty  of  it,  as  it  already  is  in  sub- 

1  Endorsement  on  Secretary  Cameron's  letter  of  July  19,  1861. 


190     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

stance.  On  very  full  reflection,  I  have  thought  this 
course  the  safest  and  best.  I  will  thank  you  if  you 
will  move  an  amendment  in  about  these  words: 
Provided  that  no  part  of  said  lands  shall  be  pat 
ented  until  the  money  price  for  such  part  shall  have 
been  fully  paid;  and  provided  further  that  time 
shall  be  extended  so  that  the  rights  of  said  Railroad 
Co.  under  the  treaty  to  which  this  is  supplemental 
shall  not  be  forfeited  until 

The  provision  for  the  perfect  security  of  the 
Indians  on  the  one  hand;  and  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Company  on  the  other. 

The  blank  you  will  fill  of  course. 
Yours  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  SECRETARY  CHASE  L 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
July  26,  1861. 

Mr.  Chase:  —  The  bearer,  Mr.  — ,  wants 

in  the  custom  house  at  Baltimore.   If  his 

recommendations  are  satisfactory,  and  I  recollect 
them  to  have  been  so,  the  fact  that  he  is  urged  by 
the  Methodists  should  be  in  his  favor,  as  they  com 
plain  of  us  some. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Printed  in  Writings,  Lapsley  ed.,  v,  345. 


To  Rufus  F.  Andrews  191 

To  THOMAS  A.  SCOTT,  Assistant  Secretary  of  War 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
Aug.  3,  1861. 

HON.  ASST.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Gen'l  Scroggs  of  New  York  wishes  to  raise  a 
military  corps  for  service  of  the  government  and 
I  shall  be  satisfied  with  any  arrangement  you 
may  make  with  him  at  the  department  on  the 
subject. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  RUFUS  F.  ANDREWS  l 

WASHINGTON,  August  6,  1861. 

HON  RUFUS  F.  ANDREWS 

My  dear  Sir:  Mr.  James  Morss  wishes  to  be 
Deputy-Surveyor  at  New  York.  I  do  not  know 
him  personally,  except  for  the  last  few  days;  but 
the  testimonials  he  has  presented  interest  me 
enough  for  him,  to  induce  me  to  ask  for  him  a  fair 
and  careful  consideration  of  his  case. 
Yours  very  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Naval  Officer  in  the  New  York  custom-house. 


192     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


To  GENERAL  WINFIELD  SCOTT 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
August  7,  1861. 

LIEUT.  GEN'L.  SCOTT. 

My  dear  Sir:  If  it  be  true,  as  is  intimated  to  me 
that  you  think  Gen'l  Wool  should  go  to  Fortress 
Monroe,  let  him  be  ordered  there  at  once. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To   GUSTAVE    KOERNER 

WASHINGTON,  D.C.,  Aug.  8,  1861. 

HON.  G.  KOERNER. 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  dispatch  saying  application 
of  German  Brigade  is  withdrawn,  is  just  received. 
Without  occupying  our  standpoint,  you  cannot 
conceive  how  this  subject  embarrasses  us.  We  have 
promises  out,  to  more  than  four  hundred  regiments, 
which  if  they  all  come,  are  more  than  we  want.  If 
they  all  come,  we  could  not  take  yours,  if  they  do 
not  all  come  we  shall  want  yours,  and  yet  we  have 
no  possible  means  of  knowing  whether  they  will  all 
come  or  not.  I  hope  you  will  make  due  allowance 
for  the  embarrassment  this  produces. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  Secretary  Cameron          193 


To  SECRETARY  CAMERON 

SECRETARY  OF  WAR, 

Please  see  and  hear  Col.  Eaton,  whom  Gen. 
Grant  thinks  is  one  of  the  best  contraband  agents. 

AUGUST  »,  186!.  A'  LlNCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  CAMERON  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
August  22,  1861. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Sir:  Victor  B.  Bell,  now  of  Colorado,  is  one  of 
my  most  valued  friends;  and  one  of  the  best,  if  not 
the  very  best  clerk  I  ever  knew.  I  would  like  for 
him  to  be  an  Asst.  Quarter  Master  or  Commissary 
of  Subsistence  of  Volunteers. 

Can  you  not  fix  it  for  me  ? 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

AUGUST  22,  1861. 

UNADDRESSED  NOTE 

Is  there  anything  in  the  Marble  line  which  could 
be  given  Mr.  Rutherford  ? 

A.  L. 

AUG.  22,  1861. 


Original  owned  by  Mr.  Judd  Stewart,  New  York. 


194     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER 

I  think  that  the  young  man  within  recommended, 
ought  to  be  appointed,  if  possible.  There  is  some 
peculiar  reason  for  it. 

A.  LINCOLN 
AUG.  22,  1861. 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  THE  BACK  OF  AN  INDIGNANT 
LETTER  OF  WILLIAM  W.  RICHMOND 

Will  Mr.  Richmond  distinctly  declare  that  he 
did  not  write  a  letter  to  Mrs.  L.  giving  Senator 
Simmons'  name  as  one  of  his  backers  for  the  Con 
sulate? 

A.  L. 

AUGUST  25,  1861. 

To  SECRETARY  CAMERON  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
October  Ist,  1861. 

HONORABLE  SEC.  OF  WAR: 

My  dear  Sir:  The  Postmaster-General  and  my 
self  have  special  reasons  for  wishing  to  oblige  Mr. 
Benj.  F.  Watson,  of  Lawrence,  Mass.  He  has  been 
appointed  an  Assistant  Paymaster  or  Paymaster 
of  Volunteers,  but  he  wishes  the  same  post  in  the 

1  From  Abraham  Lincoln:  Tributes  from  his  Associates,  New 
York,  1895,  p.  143,  which  see  for  an  account  of  the  circumstances 
under  which  the  letter  was  written. 


To  Secretary  Smith  195 

regular  Army.  If  there  is  any  vacancy,  not  com 
mitted  to  any  other  person,  let  Mr.  Watson  have 
it.  If  there  be  no  such  vacancy,  oblige  him,  as  far 
as  you  can,  by  sending  him  to  service  at  the  place 
which  suits  him  best. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN 

UNADDRESSED  NOTE 

I  did  not  know  that  Foster  had  a  consulship;  and 
if  he  had,  I  am  astonished  that  he  declines  it.  Let 
the  Sec  of  State  take  the  whole  case  and  do  as  he 
pleases  with  it. 

A.  LINCOLN 
OCTOBER  12,  1861. 

To  SECRETARY  CAMERON 

SEC  OF  WAR. 

Please  see  Mr.  T.  H.  Clay,  son  of  the  late  Hon. 
Henry  Clay. 

A.  LINCOLN 
OCT  21, 1861. 

To  SECRETARY  SMITH 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Oct.  23,  1861 

HON.  SEC.  OF  INTERIOR 

My  dear  Sir:  If  you  can  think  to  mention  the 
next  time  I  see  you,  I  will  tell  you  more  fully  what 


196     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Mr  Lewis  says  of  the  cases  noted  by  him  on  the 
inclosed  cards. 

Very  truly  yours,  A.  LINCOLN 


To  REV.  F.  M.  MAGRATH 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON,  D.C.  October  30,  1861. 

REV.  F.  M.  MAGRATH 

Sir:  Having  been  solicited  by  Christian  Minis 
ters,  and  other  pious  people,  to  appoint  suitable 
persons  to  act  as  Chaplains  at  the  hospitals  for  our 
sick  and  wounded  soldiers,  and  feeling  the  intrinsic 
propriety  of  having  such  persons  to  so  act,  and  yet 
believing  there  is  no  law  conferring  the  power  upon 
me  to  appoint  them,  I  think  fit  to  say  that  if  you 
will  voluntarily  enter  upon,  and  perform  the  ap 
propriate  duties  of  such  position,  I  will  recommend 
that  Congress  make  compensation  therefor  at 
the  same  rate  as  Chaplains  in  the  army  are  com 
pensated. 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  SECRETARY  CAMERON 

Secretary  of  War,  please  see  Dr.  Boyd  Pendleton 
of  Va.  and,  if  you  can,  let  him  be  examined  at  once 
to  be  a  Brigade  Surgeon.  I  very  much  wish  to 
appoint  him  at  once. 

A.  LINCOLN 

Nov.  7,  1861. 


To  L.  B.  Wyman  197 


To  GENERAL  GEORGE  B.  MCCLELLAN 

GEN.   McCLELLAN, — 

Please  see  Hon.  Mr.  Washburne,  M.C.  who  has 
been  on  an  investigating  committee  at  St.  Louis  for 
sixteen  days  recently,  and  can  really  give  more  ac 
curate  and  fuller  information  on  material  matters 
there,  than  any  one  I  have  seen. 

A.  LINCOLN 
Nov.  10,  1861. 


To  L.  B.  WYMAN 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  November  n,  1861. 

My  Dear  Sir:  I  am  directed  by  the  President  to 
acknowledge  the  receipt  this  morning  of  your  kind 
invitation  for  the  22nd  of  December  next,  and  to 
state  that  nothing  but  the  exigencies  of  public  af 
fairs  could  prevent  him  from  availing  himself  of 
the  privilege  you  have  been  so  thoughtful  as  to 
tender. 

The  President  regrets  the  more  deeply  the  neces 
sity  that  deprives  him  of  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
you,  since  at  no  former  time  have  the  memory  and 
the  example  of  our  forefathers  furnished  a  more 
instructive  subject  for  our  contemplation,  than 
now,  when  the  institutions  they  founded  are 
threatened  by  armed  insurrection,  and  all  the 


198     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

powers  of  the  Government  are  pledged  to  the 
support  of  the  principles  for  which  they  toiled  and 
suffered. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  with  great  respect, 
Your  Obedient  Servant 
JOHN  HAY 

Assistant  Priv.  Sec. 
L.  B.  WYMAN  ESQ 

Chairman  &c  &c 


To  SECRETARY  CAMERON 

Sec.  of  War,  please  see  the  bearer  who  is  Marshal 
of  the  S.  District  of  Illinois. 

A.  LINCOLN 
DEC.  6,  1861. 

To  SECRETARY  SMITH 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
Dec.  13,  1861. 

HON.  SEC.  OF  INTERIOR. 

My  dear  Sir:  George  L.  Pomeroy  of  Illinois,  tells 
me  he  was  a  clerk  in  the  Census  Bureau,  and  has 
been  removed.  Will  you  please  ascertain,  and  tell 
me  the  circumstances. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  Henry  Liebman  199 

To  REV.  DR.  A.  FiscHEL1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
Dec  14,  1861. 

REV.  DR.  A.  FISCHEL, 

My  dear  Sir:  I  find  that  there  are  several  particu 
lars  in  which  the  present  law  in  regard  to  Chaplains 
is  supposed  to  be  deficient,  all  of  which  I  now  de 
sign  presenting  to  the  appropriate  Committee  of 
Congress.  I  shall  try  to  have  a  new  law  broad 
enough  to  cover  what  is  desired  by  you  in  behalf  of 
the  Israelites. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  JUDGE  ADVOCATE 

DEC  14,  1861 
JUDGE  ADVOCATE: 

Please  see  Mr.  Schell  and  Mr  Johnson  on  busi 
ness  of  which  I  spoke  this  morning. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

To  HENRY  LIEBMAN 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.C.  Dec  28,  1861. 

HENRY  LIEBMAN 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  private  letter  in  regard  to 
Mr.  Burtwell  is  received. 

1  From  Isaac  Markens's  Abraham  Lincoln  and  the  Jfwsy  a 
pamphlet  printed  for  the  author,  New  York,  1909. 


200    Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

I  have  no  power  to  remove  a  Lieut-Colonel  ap 
pointed  by  the  Governor  of  New  York.  The  appeal 
must  be  made,  if  at  all,  to  the  Governor. 
Yours,  etc., 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  STANTON  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Jan.  22,  1862. 

To  EDWIN  M.  STANTON, 
Secretary  of  War. 

My  dear  Sir:  Richard  M.  Corwine  was  appointed 
Judge  Advocate  by  Gen.  Fremont  on  the  2Oth  of 
July  last,  and  served  as  such  till  the  i8th  of  Novem 
ber  last.  He  never  had  a  Commission,  but  his 
services  were  as  valuable,  and  his  conduct  as  meri 
torious,  as  if  his  appointment  had  been  entirely 
regular.  His  is  but  one  of  a  class  of  cases,  which 
class  has  been  under  consideration  at  the  War  De 
partment,  but  what  has  been  done  with  it  I  do  not 
know.  The  meritorious  ones  ought  to  have  Com 
missions,  nunc  pro  tune,  and  an  honorable  recog 
nition  of  them,  and  should  also  be  paid. 

I  hope  this  may  be  done,  including  Major  Cor 
wine  in  the  arrangement. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  Original  owned  by  P.  F.  Madigan,  of  New  York. 


To  the  King  of  Siam  201 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  COMMANDER 
JOHN  A.  DAHLGREN 

WASHINGTON  Jan  28,  1862. 

Capt.  Dahlgren  gave  his  views  in  this  letter,  at 
my  request.  I  have  so  much  confidence  in  him  in 
naval  matters  that  I  enclose  it  to  you  as  chairman 
of  the  naval  committee. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

RECIPIENT  UNKNOWN  1 

My  dear  Sir:  Herewith  is  the  resolution  we  talked 
of  yesterday.  I  think  my  answer  thereon  included 
one  from  the  Sec.  of  War,  as  well  as  from  you.  If 
you  send  me  back  a  copy  of  the  resolution,  I  will 
lay  it  before  him. 

Yours  truly  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  THE  KING  OF  SIAM 

THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  U.S.  TO  THE 
KING  OF  SIAM. 

WASHINGTON,  D.C.,  U.S.A. 
Feb.  3,  1862. 

Great  and  good  friend:  I  have  received  your  Ma 
jesty's  two  letters  of  the  date  of  Feb.  14,  1861.  I 

1  The  date  and  the  name  of  the  recipient  have  been  cut  from 
the  top  of  the  letter. 


202     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

have  received  in  good  condition  the  royal  gift  which 
accompanied  those  letters,  namely  a  sword  of  costly 
materials  and  exquisite  workmanship,  a  photo 
graphic  likeness  of  your  Majesty  and  of  your  Ma 
jesty's  beloved  daughter,  and  also  two  elephant's 
tusks  of  length  and  magnitude,  such  as  indicate  that 
they  could  have  belonged  only  to  an  animal  which 
was  a  native  of  Siam. 

Your  Majesty's  letters  show  an  understanding 
that  our  laws  forbid  the  President  from  receiving 
these  rich  presents  as  personal  treasures.  They  are 
therefore  accepted  in  accordance  with  your  Ma 
jesty's  desire  as  tokens  of  your  good  will  and  friend 
ship  for  the  American  people.  Congress  being  now 
in  session  at  this  capital,  I  have  had  great  pleasure 
in  making  known  to  them  this  manifestation  of 
your  Majesty's  munificence  and  kind  consideration. 

Under  their  direction  the  gifts  will  be  placed 
among  the  archives  of  the  government  where  they 
will  remain  perpetually  as  tokens  of  mutual  esteem 
and  pacific  disposition  more  honorable  to  both  na 
tions  than  any  trophies  of  conquest  could  be. 

I  appreciate  most  highly  your  Majesty's  tender 
of  good  offices  in  forwarding  to  this  Government 
a  stock  from  which  a  supply  of  elephants  might  be 
raised  on  our  soil.  This  Government  would  not  hes 
itate  to  avail  itself  of  so  generous  an  offer  if  the 
object  were  one  which  could  be  made  practically 
useful  in  the  present  condition  of  the  United  States. 


To  General  George  B.  McClellan  203 

Our  political  jurisdiction,  however,  does  not  reach  a 
latitude  so  low  as  to  favor  the  multiplication  of  the 
elephant,  and  steam  on  land  as  well  as  on  water  has 
been  our  best  and  most  efficient  agent  of  transpor 
tation  in  internal  commerce. 

I  shall  have  occasion  at  no  distant  day  to  trans 
mit  to  your  Majesty  some  token  of  indication  of 
the  high  sense  which  this  Government  entertains 
of  your  Majesty's  friendship. 

Meantime,  wishing  for  your  Majesty  a  long  and 

happy  life,  and,  for  the  generous  and   emulous 

people  of  Siam,  the  highest  possible  prosperity,  I 

commend  both  to  the  blessing  of  Almighty  God. 

Your  good  friend, 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

By  the  President, 

WILLIAM  H.  SEWARD, 
Secretary  of  State. 


To  GENERAL  GEORGE  B.  MCCLELLAN 

Gen.  McClellan  please  see  the  bearer,  who,  with 
his  Regiment,  was  forced  back  from  the  Bermuda 
Expedition,  because  of  their  vessel  drawing  too 
much  water.  They  are  now  at  Annapolis,  and  wish 
to  follow  up  the  Expedition.  Can  they  be  provided 
to  do  so?  Or,  what  disposition  can  be  made  of 
them? 

A  LINCOLN 

FEB.  14, 1862 


204     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

ENDORSEMENT 

This,  as  is  seen,  is  a  most  meritorious  case;  and 
I  shall  really  be  obliged,  if  the  Secretary  of  War 
can  and  will  find  a  situation  ...  for  the  "little 
sergeant." 

A.  LINCOLN 
FEBY  27,  1862. 

To  SECRETARY  SEWARD 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
March  5,  1862. 

HON.  SEC.  OF  STATE, 

My  dear  Sir:  Please  summons  the  Cabinet  to 
meet  me  here  at  7  o'clock  this  evening 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  GENERAL  COOPER  AND  OTHERS 

These  two  young  men,  Richard  Middleton  and 
Thomas  F.  Goodwin  seem  to  have  a  very  meritori 
ous  case;  and  I  respectfully  commend  them  to  Gen. 
Cooper,  and  to  others  to  whom  this  may  be  pre 
sented. 

A.  LINCOLN 
MARCH  8, 1862. 

Mr.  Middleton  states,  he  has  heretofore  been 
employed  for  several  years  in  the  Capitol.  I  shall 
be  pleased  if  he  can  be  again  employed  upon  it. 


To  Colonel  Ramsey  205 

To  ORVILLE  H.  BROWNING 

Will  Mr.  Senator  Browning  please  see  Mr.  Mul- 
ler,  who  I  believe  to  be  a  correct  and  honest  man. 
Give  him  a  fair  show  if  possible. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MARCH  14, 1862. 

To  COLONEL  RAMSEY 

Col.  Ramsey,  please  find  work  for  the  bearer  if 
possible.  He  will  tell  you  what  he  can  do. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MARCH  27,  1862. 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  SILAS  CRISPIN, 
Captain  of  Ordnance 

What  reason  is  there  that  the  appraisement 
made  by  Major  Hayner  and  adopted  and  acted 
upon  by  Capt.  Crispin  should  not  stand,  so  far  as 
it  went. 

A.  LINCOLN 

APRIL  1 5, 1862. 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  STEPHEN  BAKER1 

Hon.  Mr.  Baker,  writer  of  the  within,  says  he 
has  had  no  appointment,  little  or  large,  from  his 

1  Representative  from  New  York  in  the  37th  Congress  (1861- 
1863). 


206     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

District,  except  the  local  ones,  and  he  particularly 
wishes  these.  I  desire  that  he  may  be  obliged. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


UNADDRESSED  NOTE 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  May  3,  1862. 

To-day  Mr.  Senator  Wright  introduces  a  Com 
mittee  of  Citizens  of  this  District  consisting  of 
William  Dixon,  William  Wise,  Henry  Lee,  Reuben 
Bacon,  Henry  D.  Gannell,  W.  J.  Murtagh,  James 
H.  Lusby  who  asks  the  appointment  of  George  W. 
Garrett  as  Warden  of  Penitentiary. 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  VALENTINE  B.  HORTON 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  May  16,  1862. 

HON.  V.  B.  HORTON, 

M.  C.  from  Ohio, 

My  dear  Sir:  Herewith  is  a  copy  of  your  letter 
with  a  copy  of  my  Endorsement  upon  it. 

You  perceive  I  did  exactly  what  you  requested. 
Neither  more  nor  less. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  James  F.  Simmons          207 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  VALENTINE  B. 
HORTON 

I  authorize  the  Secretary  of  War  to  appoint 
Capt.  R.  F.  Hunter,  as  I  am  within  requested  to 
do  by  Hon.  V.  B.  Horton. 


To  JAMES  F.  SIMMONS  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
May  21,  1862. 

HON.  SENATOR  SIMMONS. 

My  dear  Sir:  This  distressed  girl  says  she  belongs 
to  your  state ;  that  she  was  here  with  her  father  and 
brother,  in  our  Army,  till  they  went  with  it  to  the 
peninsula;  that  her  [brother]  has  been  killed  there, 
&  her  father  made  prisoner.  And  that  she  is  here, 
wanting  employment  to  support  herself. 

If  you  can  be  satisfied  that  her  story  is  correct, 
please  see  if  you  can  not  get  Mr  Secretary  Chase 
or  friend  Newton  to  find  her  a  place. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  United  States  Senator  from  Rhode  Island,  1859-1863.  Orig 
inal  owned  by  P.  F.  Madigan,  Esq. 


208     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  GOVERNOR  ANDREW  G.  CURTIN 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
May  26.  1862 

His  EXCELLENCY 

A.  G.  CURTIN 

Gov.  of  Penn. 

The  bearer  of  this,  Edward  D.  Baker,  is  the  son 
of  my  very  dear  friend  Col.  Baker,  who  fell  at 
Balls  Bluff.  He  thinks  you  might  be  induced  to 
make  him  a  field  officer  in  a  Pennsylvania  Regi 
ment.  Disclaiming  all  wish  to  interfere  in  a  matter 
so  purely  belonging  to  you  and  your  State,  I  still 
say  I  would  be  much  pleased,  if  he  could  be  obliged. 
Yours  truly 

A  LINCOLN 

RECOMMENDING  WARD  H.  LAMON 

The  bearer  of  this,  W.  H.  Lamon,  is  Marshal  of 
D.C.  —  my  particular  friend,  born  and  raised  at 
Bunker  Hill,  an  excellent  horseman,  and,  I  think, 
will  be  most  valuable  for  scouting  purposes. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MAY  28,  1862. 


To  Solomon  Foot  209 


To  SOLOMON  FOOT  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  July  15,  1862. 

HON  SOLOMON  FOOT 

U.S.  Senator 

Sir:  I  am  sorry  Senators  could  not  so  far  trust  me 
as  to  believe  I  had  some  real  cause  for  wishing  them 
to  remain.  I  am  considering  a  bill  which  came  to 
me  only  late  in  the  day  yesterday,  and  the  subject 
of  which  has  perplexed  Congress  for  more  than  half 
a  year.  I  may  return  it  with  objections;  and  if  I 
should,  I  wish  Congress  to  have  the  opportunity  of 
obviating  the  objections,  or  of  passing  it  into  a  law 
notwithstanding  them.  That  is  all. 
Your  obedient  servant 

A.  LINCOLN 


ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  JAMES  HARLAN  2 

WASHINGTON  July  29,  1862 

I  have  some  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Taylor3 
and  think  his  appointment  would  be  a  good 
one. 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Senator  from  Vermont,  1857-1866.  This  is  the  second  letter 
to  Senator  Foot  about  adjournment  written  on  the  same  day. 

8  United  States  Senator  from  Iowa,  1855-65  and  1867-73; 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  1865-66. 

8  Hawkins  Taylor. 


210     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


To  GEN.  HENRY  W.  HALLECK 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON,  Aug.  7,  1862. 

MAJOR  GEN.  HALLECK, 

Please  see  Gen.  Casey.  He  considers  himself 
aggrieved,  and  appeals  to  me  for  justice.  But  I  do 
not  know  what  would  be  justice  in  the  case  and 
have  not  the  time  to  inquire. 

Please  hear  him. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  DAVID  P.  HOLLOWAY,  Commissioner  of  Patents 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Aug.  20,  1862. 

COM?  OF  PATENTS, 

Sir:  My  friend,  Capt.  Diller,  bearer  of  this, 
wishes  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Wetherell,  chemist  in 
your  Bureau,  to  make  an  experiment,  in  which 
he,  Capt  Diller,  trusts  Dr.  Wetherell,  the  govern 
ment  wishing,  as  yet,  not  to  be  trusted  with  the 
secret. 

Please  let  Dr.  Wetherell  give  him  the  assist 
ance. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  Governor  William  Sprague      211 
ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  JOHN  W.  SHAFFER  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
Sept.  17,  1862 

As  I  told  you  yesterday  of  what  disposition  is  to 
be  made  of  them  and  whether  they  can  be  made 
self-supporting  (the  negroes)  must  be  decided  in 
the  Department  of  the  Gulf,  and  I  believe  Butler 
is  more  likely  to  succeed  than  any  other  man  I 
know.  . .  . 

The  writer  of  this  is  a  personal  acquaintance  of 
mine  who  has  been  on  duty  at  New  Orleans  as  a 
Quarter  Master.  I  have  thought  it  not  improper 
that  the  Sec.  of  War  should  see  his  suggestions. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  GOVERNOR  WILLIAM  SPRAGUE  2 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON,  Sep.  20,  1862 

His  EXCELLENCY 

Gov.  WILLIAM  SPRAGUE  — 
My  dear  Sir:  I  am  sure  you  can  not  be  ignorant  of 
my  strong  desire  to  oblige  you,  so  far  as  in  my  own 
judgement,  I  consistently  can;  but  I  can  not  now 

1  Appointed  from  Illinois  as  Assistant  Quarter  Master,  in  the 
Volunteer  Army,  Aug.  3,  1861,  and  made  a  Colonel  and  Addi 
tional  Aide-de-Camp,  Jan.  30,  1862. 

2  Governor  of  Rhode  Island,  1860-1863. 


2i2     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

so  do,  that,  the  procuring  of  which,  seems  to  be  the 
mission  of  your  friend,  J.  A.  Perry. 

Yours  truly          A  LINCOLN 


To  THE  ASSISTANT  SURGEON-GENERAL  1 

Assistant  Surgeon  General  please  see  D£  Stipp. 
He  says  he  is  ordered  to  Gen.  M^Clellan's  camp 
while  his  preparations  —  tools,  so  to  speak  —  are 
at  Corinth,  Miss.  Not  intending  to  interfere  by 
an  order,  I  still  would  be  glad  if  he  could  be  sent 
to  Corinth. 

A.  LINCOLN 

OCT  6,  1862. 

To  SECRETARY  CHASE 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Nov.  8,  1862. 

HON.  SEC.  OF  TREASURY 

My  dear  Sir:  I  now  understand  that  a  Commis 
sion  has  been  sent  to  some  gentleman  as  Collector 
for  the  1 3th  District  of  New  York,  in  place  of  Mr. 
Masten  whom  I  appointed  at  the  request  of  Hon. 
Mr.  Steele.2  If  I  have  signed  a  Commission  super 
seding  him  I  have  done  it  inadvertently,  not  re- 

1  Written  on  two  sides  of  a  card.    From  a  facsimile  in  an  arti 
cle  on  "  Lincoln  as  a  Boy  knew  Him,"  by  John  Langdon  Kaine, 
in  the  Century,  LXIII,  555,  Feb.,  1913. 

2  John  B.  Steele,  of  Kingston,  N.Y.,  Representative  in  the 
Thirty-Seventh  and  Thirty-Eighth  Congresses. 


To  General  Carl  Schurz        213 

membering  having  done  so  at  all,  and  not  having 
known  any  just  reason  for  doing  so. 

Having  appointed  Mr.  Masten  deliberately,  I 
do  not  wish  to  revoke  such  appointment  without 
a  sufficient  reason;  and,  of  course,  I  do  not  wish 
to  be  made  to  appear  as  having  prevaricated.  If 
Mr.  Masten  has  tendered  a  sufficient  bond,  I  wish 
him  to  have  the  office. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  MRS.  LINCOLN 

WASHINGTON,  Nov.  9,  1862. 

MRS.  A.  LINCOLN, 

Boston,  Mass. 

Mrs.  Cuthbert  and  Aunt  Mary  want  to  move  to 
the  White  House  because  it  has  grown  so  cold  at 
Soldiers'  Home.  Shall  they? 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  GENERAL  CARL  SCHURZ  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Nov.  10,  1862. 

"Private  fcf  Confidential" 
GEN.  SCHURZ. 

My  dear  Sir:  Yours  of  the  8th  was,  to-day,  read 
to  me  by  Mrs.  S[churz].  We  have  lost  the  elections; 

1  From  Speeches,  Correspondence,  and  Political  Papers  of  Carl 
Schurz,  New  York,  1913,  i,  211. 


214     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

and  it  is  natural  that  each  of  us  will  believe,  and 
say,  it  has  been  because  his  peculiar  views  was  not 
made  sufficiently  prominent.  I  think  I  know  what 
it  was,  but  I  may  be  mistaken.  Three  main  causes 
told  the  whole  story,  i.  The  democrats  were  left 
in  a  majority  by  our  friends  going  to  the  war. 
2.  The  democrats  observed  this  &  determined  to 
re-instate  themselves  in  power,  and  3.  Our  news 
papers,  by  vilifying  and  disparaging  the  adminis 
tration,  furnished  them  all  the  weapons  to  do  it 
with.  Certainly,  the  ill-success  of  the  war  had 
much  to  do  with  this. 

You  give  a  different  set  of  reasons.  If  you  had 
not  made  the  following  statements,  I  should  not 
have  suspected  them  to  be  true.  "The  defeat  of 
the  administration  is  the  administration's  own 
fault."  (Opinion.)  "It  admitted  its  professed  op 
ponents  to  its  counsels."  (Asserted  as  a  fact.)  "It 
placed  the  Army,  now  a  great  power  in  this  Repub 
lic,  into  the  hands  of  its  enemies."  (Asserted  as  a 
fact.)  "In  all  personal  questions  to  be  hostile  to 
the  party  of  the  Government  seemed  to  be  a  title 
to  consideration."  (Asserted  as  a  fact.)  "If  to 
forget  the  great  rule,  that  if  you  are  true  to  your 
friends,  your  friends  will  be  true  to  you,  and  that 
you  make  your  enemies  stronger  by  placing  them 
upon  an  equality  with  your  friends."  "Is  it  sur 
prising  that  the  opponents  of  the  administration 
should  have  got  into  their  hands  the  government  of 


To  General  Carl  Schurz        215 

the  principal  states,  after  they  have  had  for  a  long 
time  the  principal  management  of  the  war,  the 
great  business  of  the  national  government." 

I  can  not  dispute  about  the  matter  of  opinion. 
On  the  three  matters  (stated  as  facts)  I  shall  be 
glad  to  have  your  evidence  upon  them  when  I  shall 
meet  you.  The  plain  facts,  as  they  appear  to  me, 
are  these.  The  administration  came  into  power, 
very  largely  in  a  minority  of  the  popular  vote. 
Notwithstanding  this,  it  distributed  to  its  party 
friends  as  nearly  all  the  civil  patronage  as  any  ad 
ministration  ever  did.  The  war  came.  The  admin 
istration  could  not  even  start  in  this,  without  as 
sistance  outside  of  its  party.  It  was  mere  nonsense 
to  suppose  a  minority  could  put  down  a  majority 
in  rebellion.  Mr.  Schurz  (now  Gen.  Schurz)  was 
about  here  then  &  I  do  not  recollect  that  he  then 
considered  all  who  were  not  republicans,  were  ene 
mies  of  the  government,  and  that  none  of  them 
must  be  appointed  to  military  positions.  He  will 
correct  me  if  I  am  mistaken.  It  so  happened  that 
very  few  of  our  friends  had  a  military  education  or 
were  of  the  profession  of  arms.  It  would  have  been 
a  question  whether  the  war  should  be  conducted  on 
military  knowledge,  or  on  political  affinity,  only 
that  our  own  friends  (I  think  Mr.  Schurz  included) 
seemed  to  think  that  such  a  question  was  inad 
missible.  Accordingly  I  have  scarcely  appointed 
a  democrat  to  a  command,  who  was  not  urged  by 


216     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

many  republicans  and  opposed  by  none.  It  was  so 
as  to  McClellan.  He  was  first  brought  forward  by 
the  Republican  Governor  of  Ohio,  &  claimed,  and 
contended  for  at  the  same  time  by  the  Republican 
Governor  of  Pennsylvania.  I  received  recommen 
dations  from  the  republican  delegations  in  Con 
gress,  and  I  believe  every  one  of  them  recom 
mended  a  majority  of  democrats.  But,  after  all 
many  Republicans  were  appointed;  and  I  mean  no 
disparagement  to  them  when  I  say  I  do  not  see 
that  their  superiority  of  success  has  been  so  marked 
as  to  throw  great  suspicion  on  the  good  faith  of 
those  who  are  not  Republicans. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  HAMILTON  ROWAN  GAMBLE,  Governor  of 
Missouri 

I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  get  the  document  but 
have  the  Secretary  of  War  hunting  for  it. 

A.  LINCOLN 
Nov  15,  1862. 


To  General  Steele  and  Others      217 

To  GENERAL  FREDERICK  STEELE,  GENERAL 

JOHN  SMITH  PHELPS  (Military  Governor  of 

Arkansas),  AND  OTHERS 

WASHINGTON,  Nov.  18,  1862. 

General  Steele,  Governor  Phelps,  and  all  having 
military  and  naval  authority,  under  the  United 
States,  within  the  State  of  Arkansas: 

Mr.  William  M.  McPherson  goes  to  Arkansas 
seeking  to  have  such  of  the  people  thereof  as  de 
sire  to  avoid  the  unsatisfactory  prospect  before 
them,  and  to  have  peace  again  upon  the  old  terms 
under  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  to 
manifest  such  desire  by  elections  of  members  to  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  particularly,  and 
perhaps  a  legislature,  State  officers,  and  United 
States  Senators,  friendly  to  their  object.  I  shall  be 
glad  for  you  and  each  of  you  to  aid  them  and  all 
others  acting  for  this  object,  as  much  as  possible. 

In  all  available  ways  give  the  people  a  chance  to 
express  their  wishes  at  these  elections.  Follow  law 
and  forms  of  law  as  far  as  convenient,  but  at  all 
events  get  the  expression  of  the  largest  number  of 
the  people  possible.  All  see  how  such  action  will 
connect  with  and  affect  the  proclamation  of  Sep 
tember  22nd.  Of  course  the  men  elected  should  be 
gentlemen  of  character,  willing  to  swear  support  to 
the  Constitution  as  of  old  and  known  to  be  above 
reasonable  suspicion  of  duplicity. 

Yours  very  respectfully,          A.  LINCOLN. 


2i8     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  GEORGE  S.  BOUTWELL,*  Commissioner  of 
Internal  Revenue 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Nov.  24,  1862. 

COMR  OF  INTERNAL  REVENUE 

Sir:  It  was  by  mere  oversight  that  the  Eastern 
Shore  counties  of  Virginia,  and  some  other  counties 
of  Hon.  Mr.  Segar's  2  District,  were  not  classed  as 
loyal  in  the  proclamation  of  July.  I  intend  to  set 
this  right  the  first  convenient  opportunity.  Mean 
time,  please  consult  with  Mr.  Segar,  and  act  with 
his  District,  in  regard  to  the  Revenue,  as  with  a 
loyal  District. 

Yours  truly         A.  LINCOLN 

To  CYRUS  ALDRICH  3 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Dec  6,  1862. 

HON  CYRUS  ALDRICH. 

My  dear  Sir:  In  answer  to  your  inquiries  I  can 
only  say,  at  this  distance  of  time,  that  I  remember 
the  Land-officers  at  Vandalia,  Palestine,  Danville 
and  Dixon,  in  the  state  of  Illinois,  who  went  in 
under  the  administration  of  President  Taylor, 

1  Formerly  Governor  of  Massachusetts  and  later  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury  under  Grant  and  Senator  from  Massachusetts. 

*  Joseph  E.  Segar,  of  Elizabeth  City,  Va.,  a  Member  of  Con 
gress,  1862-1863. 

8  Representative  from  Minnesota  in  the  Thirty-Sixth  and 
Thirty-Seventh  Congresses. 


To  Secretary  Smith  219 

afterwards  made  a  claim  in  connection  with  the 
location  of  Land  warrants  in  the  respective  offices, 
which  claim  was  disallowed  by  the  accounting  offi 
cers  at  Washington;  that  the  claim,  and  conse 
quently  the  question  in  all  the  cases  was  the  same, 
and  that  the  officers  of  whom  you  were  one,  de 
termined  to  test  the  legality  of  the  claim  in  a  suit 
against  one  of  them  which  might  be  brought  by  the 
government;  and  I  think  the  District  Attorney  also 
agreed  to  it,  so  far  as  to  sue  one  only.  —  Daniel 
Clapp  of  Danville  and  Judge  Logan  and  myself 
were  engaged  to  defend;  and  while  I  do  not  now 
remember  the  exact  question,  I  do  remember  that 
I  expected  the  defense  would  succeed,  and  I  am  sure 
there  was  nothing  in  the  claim,  to  cast  any  imputation 
upon  the  parties  making  it.  My  recollection  is  that 
the  defendants  sought,  or  rather,  the  single  defendant, 
constantly  sought  to  bring  the  suit  to  trial,  that  the 
District  Attorney  was  never  ready,  and  that  the  case 
lingered  many  years,  and,  as  I  think  was  still  on  the 
docket  when  I  came  on  here. 

Yours  very  truly,  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  SECRETARY  SMITH 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON,  Jan.  8,  1863. 

HON  CALEB  B.  SMITH. 

My  dear  Sir:  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  in  writing, 
exactly  what  you  did  promise  Watt  about  going  to 


220      Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Europe  last  Spring.  If  it  was  in  writing  send  me  a 

copy;  if  merely  verbal,  write  it  as  accurately  as  you 

can  from  memory,  and  please  send  it  to  me  at  once. 

Yours  as  ever. 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  JAMES  R.  DOOLITTLE 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Jan  22,  1863. 

HON.  J.  R.  DOOLITTLE, 

My  dear  Sir:  I  find  I  cannot  postpone  the  ap 
pointment  of  Asst.  Sec.  of  Interior  to  the  end  of  the 
session.  I  therefore  shall  have  to  try  to  recognize 
Mr.  Potter  in  some  other  way. 

Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  GEORGE  E.  FAWCETT 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  January  26,  1863. 

My  dear  Sir:  Allow  me  to  thank  you  cordially 
for  your  thoughtful  courtesy  in  sending  me  a  copy 
of  your  "Emancipation  March." 
Your  obedient  servt, 

A.  LINCOLN 

GEO.  E.  FAWCETT  ESQ. 
Muscatine  Iowa. 


To  General  Franz  Sigel         221 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  GENERAL  FRANZ 

SIGEL 

I  believe  an  increased  Cavalry  force  would  be 
valuable,  but  I  have  not  promised  that,  to  suit  the 
convenience  of  any  officer,  I  would,  however  incon 
venient  to  the  government,  raise  one  immediately. 
I  have  tried,  in  regard  to  Gen.  Schurz  and  Gen. 
Stahl,  to  oblige  all  round ;  but  it  seems  to  get  worse 
and  worse.  If  Gen.  Sigel  would  say  distinctly  and 
unconditionally,  what  he  desires  done,  about  the 
command  of  the  forces  he  has,  I  should  try  to  do  it; 
but  when  he  has  plans,  conditioned  upon  my  rais 
ing  new  forces,  which  is  inconvenient  for  me  to  do, 
it  is  drawing  upon  me  too  severely. 

A.  LINCOLN. 
JAN.  26,  1863. 

To  GENERAL  FRANZ  SIGEL  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  February  5,  1863. 

MAJOR  GENERAL  SIGEL 

My  dear  Sir:  Gen.  Schurz  thinks  I  was  a  little 
cross  in  my  last  note  to  you.  If  I  was,  I  ask  pardon. 
If  I  do  get  up  a  little  temper  I  have  no  sufficient 
time  to  keep  it  up. 

I  believe  I  will  not  now  issue  any  new  order  in 
relation  to  the  matter  in  question;  but  I  will  be 

1  From  a  facsimile  in  the  New  York  Staats-Zeitung. 


222     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

obliged,  if  Gen.  Hooker  consistently  can,  and  will 

give  an  increased  Cavalry  command  to  Gen.  Stahl. 

You  may  show  Gen.  Hooker  this  letter  if  you  choose. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  THE  SECRETARIES  OF  WAR  AND  THE  NAVY  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Feb.  i6th,  1863. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR  & 

HON  SECRETARY  OF  THE  NAVY. 
Gentlemen:  —  Please  appoint  an  officer  from  each 
of  your  Departments,  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the 
incendiary  shell  and  incendiary  fluid,  of  A.  Berry, 
and  reporting  to  me  whether  it  would  be  proper  to 
introduce  the  Shell,  or  the  fluid  in  some  other 
form,  one  or  both,  into  the  Military  or  Naval 
service  of  the  United  States. 

Yours  truly,          A.  LINCOLN 

To  THE  COMMANDANT  AT  FORT  MCHENRY  2 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
March  13,  1863. 

To  THE  COMMANDANT 

At  Fort  McHenry  : 

General:  —  You  will  deliver  to  the  bearer,  Mrs. 
Winston,  her  son,  now  held  a  prisoner  of  War  in 

1  Original  owned  by  P.  F.  Madigan. 

*  At  Baltimore.  The  letter  is  reprinted  from  Reminiscences  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  by  Distinguished  Men  of  his  Time,  edited  by 


To  Secretary  Stanton  223 

Fort  McHenry,  and  permit  her  to  take  him  where 
she  will,  upon  his  taking  the  proper  parole  never 
again  to  take  up  arms  against  the  United  States. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


To  GENERAL  TOTTEN 

Gen.  Totten,  please  see  Judge  Mott,1  now  Terri 
torial  Delegate  for  Nevada. 

A.  LINCOLN 

APRIL  27,  1863. 

To  SURGEON-GENERAL  WILLIAM  A.  HAMMOND 

The  Surgeon-General  will  oblige  me  if  he  can 
consistently  assign  Chaplain  Van  Santvoord  to  the 
convalescent  camp  for  a  few  months. 

A.  LINCOLN. 
MAY  i,  1863. 

To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

HEAD  QUARTERS  A.  P. 
May  7,  1863. 

HON  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Have  you  any  news?  and  if  any  what  is  it?  I 
expect  to  be  up  to-night. 

A.  LINCOLN 

Allen  Thorndike  Rice,  New  York,  1888,  p.  507,  where  the  whole 
story  is  told  by  E.  W.  Andrews,  who  was  chief  of  staff  to  Gen. 
W.  W.  Morris,  the  commandant,  at  the  time  when  the  incident 
occurred. 

1  Gordon  N.  Mott.  He  took  his  seat  as  a  Delegate  in  Congress, 
Jan.  11,1864. 


224     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  GOVERNOR  RICHARD  YATES 

If  the  Governor  of  Illinois,  in  his  discretion,  see 
fit  to  reappoint  Lieut.  Gray  to  the  place  he  was 
dismissed  from,  if  it  is  still  vacant,  or  to  appoint 
him  to  any  other  Military  Office,  the  disability  now 
resting  upon  him  to  be  so  appointed,  is  hereby 
removed. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MAY  25,  1863. 


To  ISAAC  N.  ARNOLD  l 

Private  y  confidential 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  May  26,  1863. 

HON.  I.  N.  ARNOLD, 

My  dear  Sir:  Your  letter  advising  me  to  dismiss 
Gen  Halleck  is  received.  If  the  public  believe,  as 
you  say,  that  he  has  driven  Fremont,  Butler,  and 
Sigel  from  the  service,  they  believe  what  I  know 
to  be  false;  so  that  if  I  was  to  yield  to  it,  it  would 
only  be  to  be  instantly  beset  by  some  other  demand 
based  on  another  falsehood  equally  gross.  You 
know  yourself  that  Fremont  was  relieved  at  his 
own  request,  before  Halleck  could  have  had  any- 

1  A  Republican  Congressman  from  Illinois,  1861-1865,  and 
author  of  History  of  Abraham  Lincoln  (1867)  and  Life  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  (1885).  Original  in  the  Isaac  N.  Arnold  Collection. 


To  Isaac  N.  Arnold  225 

thing  to  do  with  it  —  went  out  near  the  end  of 
June,  while  Halleck  only  came  in  near  the  end  of 
July.  I  know  equally  well  that  no  wish  of  Halleck's 
had  anything  to  do  with  the  removal  of  Butler  or 
Sigel.  Sigel,  like  Fremont,  was  relieved  at  his  own 
request,  pressed  upon  me  almost  constantly  for  six 
months,  and  upon  complaints  that  could  have  been 
made  as  justly  by  almost  any  corps  commander  in 
the  army,  and  more  justly  by  some.  So  much  for 
the  way  they  got  out.  Now  a  word  as  to  their  not 
getting  back.  In  the  early  spring,  Gen.  Fremont 
sought  active  service  again;  and,  as  it  seemed  to 
me,  sought  it  in  a  very  good  and  reasonable  spirit. 
But  he  holds  the  highest  rank  in  the  Army,  except 
McClellan,  so  that  I  could  not  well  offer  him  a 
subordinate  command.  Was  I  to  displace  Hooker, 
or  Hunter,  or  Rosecrans,  or  Grant,  or  Banks?  If 
not,  what  was  I  to  do?  And,  similar  to  this,  is  the 
case  of  both  the  others.  One  month  after  Gen 
Butler's  return,  I  offered  him  a  position  in  which  I 
thought  and  still  think  he  could  have  done  himself 
the  highest  credit,  and  the  country  the  greatest 
service,  but  he  declined  it.  When  Gen.  Sigel  was 
relieved,  at  his  own  request  as  I  have  said,  of  course 
I  had  to  put  another  in  command  of  his  corps.  Can 
I  instantly  thrust  that  other  one  [out]  to  put  him  in 
again  ? 

And  now  my  good  friend,  let  me  turn  your  eyes 
upon  another  point.  Whether  Gen  Grant  shall  or 


226     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

shall  not  consummate  the  capture  of  Vicksburg, 
his  campaign  from  the  beginning  of  the  month  up 
to  the  twenty-second  day  of  it,  is  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  in  the  world.  His  corps  commanders  & 
Division  commanders,  in  part,  are  McClernand, 
McPherson,  Sherman,  Steele,  Hovey,  Blair  & 
Logan.  And  yet  taking  Gen  Grant  and  these  seven 
of  his  generals,  and  you  can  scarcely  name  one  of 
them  that  has  not  been  constantly  denounced  even 
opposed  by  the  same  men  who  are  now  so  anx 
ious  to  get  Halleck  out,  and  Fremont  &  Butler  & 
Sigel  in.  I  believe  no  one  of  them  went  through 
the  Senate  easily,  and  certainly  one  failed  to  get 
through  at  all.  I  am  compelled  to  take  a  more  im 
partial  and  unprejudiced  view  of  things.  Without 
claiming  to  be  your  superior,  which  I  do  not,  my 
position  enables  me  to  understand  my  duty  in  all 
these  matters  better  than  you  possibly  can,  and  I 
hope  you  do  not  yet  doubt  my  integrity. 
Your  friend  as  ever, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


ENDORSEMENT  ON  APPLICATION  OF  RICHARD 
MIDDLETON 

I  understand  that  Richard  Middleton,  named 
within,  has  an  application  before  Col  Long,  for 
employment;  and  while  I  do  not  personally  know 
him,  the  within  names  are  so  good  and  ample  that 


To  Gustave  Koerner  227 

I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  I  shall  be  very  glad,  if  he 
can  get  the  employment. 

A.  LINCOLN 

JUNE  4,  1863. 


To  MAJOR-GENERAL  DAVID  HUNTER 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION. 
WASHINGTON,  June  9,  1863. 

My  dear  Sir:  I  find  it  still  impossible  to  answer 
at  length  your  communication  received  through 
Captain  Kinzie.  I  am  unwilling  to  detain  him 
longer,  and  have  directed  him  to  return  to  Hilton 
Head. 

Very  truly  yours, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  GUSTAVE  KOERNER  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON,  12  June  1863 

My  Dear  Governor:  The  President  directs  me  to 
acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  communication  of 
the  24th  May,  which  he  received  this  morning. 
He  begs  me  to  assure  you  that  there  is  no  founda 
tion  for  the  impertinent  rumor  of  your  recall,  and 
that  the  matter  has  been  left  unnoticed  simply 
from  the  irresponsible  character  of  its  origin.  He 

1  Then  Minister  to  Spain  (1862-1865). 


228     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

directs  me  to  renew  to  you  the  assurance  of  his 
undiminished  confidence  and  esteem. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Very  respectfully 

Your  obt  Sert 

JOHN  HAY 
His  EXCELLENCY 

GUSTAVUS  KOERNER 

&c    &c 
To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.C.  July  29,  1863. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Dear  Sir:  I  understand  the  Gov.  of  New  Hamp 
shire  is  anxious  in  regard  to  trouble  about  the 
draft,  and  desires  that  the  5th  N.H.  should  be 
sent  home  on  that  account.  The  regiment  is  now 
here,  going  down  the  Potomac,  somewhere,  and 
contains,  as  I  hear,  only  115  men. 

Yours  truly,          A.  LINCOLN 

To  GENERAL  GEORGE  STONEMAN  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Aug.  1863. 

GEN  STONEMAN 

I  am  appealed  to  in  behalf  of  E.  S.  Doty,  Co.  A., 
Ist  Vermont  Cavalry,  whose  friends  do  not  know 

1  Major-General  of  Volunteers. 


To  Governor  Joseph  A.  Gilmore      229 

where  he  is,  but  fear  he  has  been  executed,  or  is 
under  sentence  of  death,  somewhere,  as  a  deserter. 
Records  in  these  cases  do  not  necessarily  come, 
and  in  this  case  none  is  here.  Please  ascertain,  and 
inform  me,  if  you  can,  how  the  case  stands. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  GOVERNOR  JOSEPH  A.  GILMORE  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  Aug.  7,  1863. 

JOSEPH  A.  GILMORE,  Gov.  N.H. 

My  dear  Governor  Gilmore:  I  thank  you  very 
heartily  for  your  kind  invitation  to  visit  Concord, 
and  especially  for  the  exceedingly  cordial  terms  in 
which  you  have  conveyed  it.  I  very  much  regret 
that  I  cannot  at  present  accept  it.  I  am  by  no 
means  certain  that  I  can  leave  Washington  at  all 
this  summer.  The  exacting  nature  of  my  official 
duties  renders  it  exceedingly  improbable.  I  assure 
you  however  that  I  am  none  the  less  sincerely 
grateful  for  your  kind  intentions  and  for  the  ex 
pressions  of  personal  good  will  contained  in  your 
letter. 

I  am  very  truly  yours, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  A  letter  in  the  handwriting  of  Secretary  John  Hay,  signed 
by  Lincoln. 


230     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  SECRETARY  SEWARD 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  STATE:  — 

I  have  for  a  good  while  had  this  particular  ques 
tion  under  consideration;  and  my  judgement  [is] 
that  the  within,  substantially,  should  be  the  answer 
to  Lord  Lyons. 

A.  LINCOLN 

AUG.  10,  1863. 


To  MRS.  ELIZABETH  J.  GRIMSLEY  x 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  August  14,  1863. 

My  dear  Cousin  Lizzie:  I  have,  by  the  law,  two 
classes  of  appointments  to  make  to  the  naval 
school  —  ten  of  each,  to  the  year.  The  first  class, 
according  to  the  law,  must  be  of  the  families  of 
meritorious  Naval  Officers;  while  the  other  class 
does  not  have  such  restrictions.  You  see  at  once 
that  if  I  have  a  vacancy  in  the  first  class,  I  cannot 
appoint  Johnny  to  it;  and  I  have  intended  for 
months  and  still  intend,  to  appoint  him  to  the  very 
first  vacancy  I  can  get  in  the  other  class. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  See  telegram,  Aug.  24,  1863,  in  Works,  Nicolay  and  Hay, 
Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  ix,  91.  Copy  furnished  by  Mr.  Judd  Stewart. 


To  Secretary  Stanton  231 

To  SECRETARY  STANTON  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Aug.  20,  1863. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Dear  Sir:  Since  leaving  the  telegraph  office,  it 
has  occurred  to  me  that  it  might  be  well  to  have 
Gen.  Lockwood  send  down  to  us,  the  two  men  he 
mentions  as  just  arrived  from  Fredericksburg. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

Secretary  of  War,  please  see  this  Pittsburg  boy. 
He  is  very  young,  and  I  shall  be  satisfied  with 
whatever  you  do  with  him. 

A.  LINCOLN 

AUGUST  21,  1863. 

To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Aug.  29,  1863. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR: — 

Dr.  Brown,  the  embalmer,2  who  has  so  long  gone 
with  our  Armies,  says  he  is  now  prevented  in 

1  Original  owned  by  Mr.  Judd  Stewart. 

*  Charles  D.  Brown,  who  embalmed  President  Lincoln's  body 
at  his  death,  and  at  the  request  of  the  Secretary  of  War  accom 
panied  the  remains  to  Springfield,  Illinois. 


232     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

consequence  of  the  loss  of  a  paper.  I  suppose  he 
should  be  given  another,  unless  there  be  some  rea 
son  to  the  contrary  unknown  to  me. 

Yours  truly  A.  LINCOLN 

To  ATTORNEY-GENERAL  BATES 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  Sept.  2,  1863. 

HON.  ATTORNEY  GENERAL. 

Satisfactory  evidence  having  been  produced  to 
me  that  William  A.  Stephens  of  Shelby  county, 
Kentucky,  is  under  an  indictment  for  treason  in 
the  Circuit  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Dis 
trict  of  Kentucky;  and  that  said  Stephens,  under  a 
certain  proclamation  tendering  upon  certain  terms, 
did,  on  or  about  the  fifth  day  of  June,  1863,  and 
since  the  finding  of  said  indictment,  take  the  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and  give  bond 
with  security  accordingly,  I  do  hereby  pardon  him 
for  the  offense  charged  in  the  indictment,  and  for 
all  similar  offenses  up  to  the  said  fifth  of  June,  1863. 

Please  make  out  a  pardon  accordingly. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  GEN.  NATHANIEL  P.  BANKS 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Sept.  19,  1863. 

My  dear  Sir:  In  strong  hopes  that  you  have  the 
old  flag  flying  in  Texas  by  this  time,  we  are  about 


To  Robert  A.  Maxwell          233 

sending  you  Gen.  Hamilton  1  to  act  as  Military 
Governor  there.  I  believe  you  know  him;  but  it 
can  do  no  harm  for  me  to  say  I  really  believe  him 
to  be  a  man  of  worth  and  ability;  and  one  who, 
by  his  acquaintance  there,  can  scarcely  fail  to  be 
efficient  in  re-inaugurating  the  National  authority. 
He  has  suffered  so  long  and  painful  an  exile,  from 
his  home  and  family,  that  I  feel  a  deep  sympathy 
for  him,  and  I  scarcely  need  say  that  I  am  sure  he 
has  received,  and  will  receive  the  same  from  you. 
Yours  very  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  ROBERT  A.  MAXWELL  2 

Telegram  written  but  not  sent 

"Cypher" 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.C.  Sept.  23,  1863. 

ROBERT  A.  MAXWELL 

New  York 

I  hasten  to  say  that  in  the  state  of  information 
we  have  here,  nothing  could  be  more  ungracious 

1  Andrew  Jackson  Hamilton,  jurist;  born  in  Alabama,  Jan.  28, 
1815;  removed  to  Texas  in  1846;  elected  to  Congress  in  1851;  op 
posed  the  secession  of  Texas;  Nov.  14,  1862,  appointed  Brigadier- 
General  and  Military  Governor  of  Texas  by  President  Lincoln; 
in  1865  appointed  Provisional  Governor  by  President  Johnson; 
died  in  Austin,  Texas,  Apr.  10,  1875. 

*  One  of  President  Lincoln's  self-appointed  advisers.  After 
writing  this  dispatch  and  handing  it  to  the  operator,  the  Presi- 


234     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

than  to  indulge  any  suspicion  towards  Gen. 
Thomas.  It  is  doubtful  whether  his  heroism  and 
skill  exhibited  last  Sunday  afternoon  l  has  ever 
been  surpassed  in  the  world. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Oct.  9,  1863. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Sir:  Mrs.  Thomas  G.  Clemsin  is  a  daughter  of 
the  late  Hon  John  C.  Calhoun,  and  is  now  residing 
near  Bladensburg  in  Maryland. 

She  understands  that  her  son,  Calhoun  Clemsin, 
is  now  a  prisoner  of  War  to  us  at  Johnson's  Is 
land;  and  she  asks  the  privilege  merely  of  visiting 
him.  With  your  approbation,  I  consent  for  her  to 
go.2 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 

dent  decided  not  to  answer  his  meddlesome  telegram.  Printed 
and  reproduced  in  facsimile  in  David  Homer  Bates's  Lincoln  in 
the  Telegraph  Office. 

1  In  the  Battle  of  Chickamauga. 

J  Secretary  Stanton  wrote,  "Any  written  communication  may 
be  forwarded  under  cover  and  unsealed  through  Col.  Hoff- 


To  General  George  Stoneman      235 

To  THE  OFFICERS  OF  THE  PACIFIC  RAILROAD 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON,  Oct.  16,  1863. 
To  THE  OFFICERS  OF 

THE  PACIFIC  RAILROAD. 

Richard  P.  Morgan  bearer  of  this,  is  my  personal 
acquaintance  and  friend,  whom  I  would  like  to 
have  obliged  in  any  reasonable  way. 

I  became  acquainted  with  him  while  he  was 

acting  as  a  Railroad  Civil  Engineer,  and  I  know 

him  long  enough  and  well  enough  in  this  capacity 

to  believe  him  to  be  both  competent  and  faithful. 

Yours,  &c 

A.  LINCOLN 

To MELLEN 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Oct  22,  1863. 

If  Mr.  Mellen  can  conveniently  oblige  Mr 
Sweeney  I  shall  be  glad;  but  I  would  not  have 
him  do  it  otherwise. 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  GENERAL  GEORGE  STONEMAN 

GEN.  STONEMAN, 

Please  see  and  hear  patiently  my  friend,  George 
I.  Bergen,  who  will  hand  you  this. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

OCTOBER  30,  1863. 


236     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

UNADDRESSED  NOTE 

I  am  informed  as  a  certainty,  that  a  lady  coming 
from  Culpeper  C.H.  to  Warrenton,  met  Walker's 
Division  going  south,  who  said  they  were  going  to 
Petersburg. 

A.  LINCOLN 

To  STEPHEN  C.  MASSETT 

WASHINGTON,  Dec.  4,  1863 

MR.  STEPHEN  C.  MASSETT. 

My  Dear  Sir:  Allow  me  to  thank  you  very  cor 
dially  for  your  kindness  in  sending  me  a  copy  of 
your  book,  "Drifting  About." 

I  am  very  truly, 

Your  Obed't  Serv't,         ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

To  THURLOW  WEED 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
Dec  17,  1863. 

HON.  T.  WEED. 

Dear  Sir:  Allow  me  to  introduce  my  friends, 

Joshua  F.  Speed  1  and  Joshua  Tevis  of  Kentucky. 

You  may  rely  implicitly  on  whatever  they  may  tell 

you;  and  I  think  their  mission  an  important  one. 

Yours  very  truly. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

1  An  old  and  intimate  friend  of  Lincoln's  and  a  leading  citizen 
of  Louisville. 


To  Secretary  Welles  237 

To  BAYARD  TAYLOR 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  Dec  25,  1863. 

HON  BAYARD  TAYLOR, 

My  dear  Sir:  I  think  a  good  lecture  or  two  on 
Serfs,  Serfdom,  and  Emancipation  in  Russia  would 
be  both  interesting  and  valuable.  Could  not  you 
get  up  such  a  thing? 

Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  WELLES 

[No  date] 

SECRETARY  WELLES,  — 

The  United  States  don't  need  the  services  of 
boys  who  disobey  their  parents.  Let  both  Snyder 
and  Ratcliffe  be  discharged. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

UNADDRESSED  NOTE 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON  D.C. 

This  lady,  Miss  Weirman  wants  employment, 
and  [I]  shall  be  obliged  to  any  Head  of  a  Depart 
ment  or  Bureau  who  can  give  it  to  her. 

A.  LINCOLN 

JANUARY  14,  1864. 


238     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Feby  12,  1864. 

To  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

Dear  Sir:  Herewith  is  the  resignation  of  Mr. 
McElroth,  as  General  Appraiser  at  New  York. 
Send  me  a  nomination  for  James  Freeland  as  his 
successor  unless  you  know  some  reason  to  the 
contrary. 

Yours  truly,          A.  LINCOLN 

P.S.  The  recommendations  of  Mr.  Freeland 
which  seem  good  and  ample  are  herewith. 

A.  L. 


To  MISSES  CLARA  AND  JULIA  BROWN 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  March  2,  1864. 

MISSES  CLARA  &  JULIA  BROWN. 

The  Afgan  you  sent  is  received,  and  gratefully 
accepted.  I  especially  like  my  little  friends;  x  and 
although  you  have  never  seen  me,  I  am  glad  you 
remember  me  for  the  country's  sake,  and  even 
more,  that  you  remember,  and  try  to  help  the  poor 
soldiers. 

Yours  very  truly          A.  LINCOLN 

1  Referring  to  photographs  of  the  donors  which  accompanied 
the  gift. 


To  Attorney-General  Bates     239 

To  POSTMASTER-GENERAL  BLAIR 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  March  21,  1864. 

To  THE  HON  POSTMASTER  GENERAL. 

Dear  Sir:  These  young  ladies,  Miss  Dugger  and 
Miss  Beattie,  are  from  Illinois  and  want  employ 
ment.  They  are  loyal  and  worthy  and  I  shall  be 
glad  indeed,  if  places  can  be  found  for  them. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


IN  AN  AUTOGRAPH  ALBUM  FOR  A 
SANITARY  FAIR 

I  never  knew  a  man  who  wished  to  be  himself  a 
slave. 

Consider  if  you  know  any  good  thing,  that  no 
man  desires  for  himself. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MARCH  22,  1864. 

To  ATTORNEY-GENERAL  BATES 

Attorney  General,  please  send  me  a  nomination 
as  within  requested. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MARCH  24,  1864. 


240     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

/ 

To  COLONEL  JOSEPH  HOLT,  Judge- Advocate- 
General 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON  March  28,  1864. 

To  JUDGE  ADVOCATE  GENERAL. 

Dear  Sir:  I  am  told  that  there  is  a  man  in  the 
Old  Capitol  Prison  by  the  name  of  Benedict  A. 
King  on  some  charge  of  Desertion. 
Report  me  the  facts  of  his  case,  if  you  can. 
Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  COLONEL  WORTHINGTON 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON  March  31,  1864. 

COL.  WORTHINGTON, — 

If  Major  General  Schenck  will  say  in  writing 
upon  this  sheet  that  he  believes  the  public  service 
would  be  advanced  by  your  being  placed  at  the 
head  of  a  Regiment  in  the  field,  I  will  remove  any 
legal  disability  resting  upon  you  so  that  the  Gov 
ernor  of  Ohio  may  appoint  you  to  so  command  a 
regiment. 

Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  General  Henry  W.  Slocum      241 

To  CAPTAIN  GUSTAVUS  V.  Fox  l 

if 

Capt.  Fox,  please  see  and  hear  the  bearer,  Mr. 
Sawyer. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MAY  21,  1864. 

UNADDRESSED  NOTE  2 

Allow  Charles  H.  Jonas  now  a  prisoner  of  war  at 
Johnson's  Island  a  parole  of  three  weeks  to  visit 
his  dying  father,  Abraham  Jonas,  at  Quincy,  Ills. 

A.  LINCOLN 

JUNE  2nd  1864. 

To  GENERAL  HENRY  W.  SLOCUM 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  June  6.  1864. 

MAJOR  GENERAL  SLOCUM 

My  friend  Thomas  A.  Marshall,  who  will  hand 
you  this,  informs  me  that  he  has  some  difficulty 
in  managing  a  plantation  in  your  Department.  It 
may  be  that  you  withhold  nothing  from  him  which 
can  safely  be  granted ;  and  I  do  not  make  any  order 
in  the  case;  but  simply  wish  to  say  I  personally 
know,  so  far  as  such  things  can  be  known,  that 

1  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

a  From  Isaac  Markens's  Abraham  Lincoln  and  the  Jews,  where 
it  is  quoted  from  the  records  of  the  War  Department.  See  letter 
to  Abraham  Jonas,  p.  130. 


242     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

Mr.  Marshall  is  loyal,  truthful,  and  honorable;  and 
that  I  shall  be  glad  for  him  to  be  obliged  in  any 
not  unreasonable  way. 

Yours  truly         A  LINCOLN 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  LIEUTENANT 
JAMES  B.  JAMESON  1 

July  4,  1864 

I  believe  I  need  no  escort,  and  unless  the  Secre 
tary  of  War  directs,  none  need  attend  me. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

To  JOSEPH  CASEY  2 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  July  6,  1864. 

HON  JOSEPH  CASEY. 

My  dear  Sir:  I  am  urged  to  appoint  an  assistant 
attorney  to  your  court  in  place  of  Mr.  McPherson. 
I  believe  you  once  told  me,  but  I  am  not  sure  that 
I  correctly  remember,  what  is  the  wish  of  the  court 
in  regard  to  the  dismissal  or  retaining  of  Mr.  Mc 
Pherson. 

Please  tell  me  again. 

Yours  truly,  A.  LINCOLN 

1  The  letter  informed  the  President  that  Lieutenant  Jameson 
had  been  ordered  to  report  to  him  with  twenty  men  to  act  as  an 
escort. 

2  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States  Court  of  Claims.  Original 
owned  by  Mr.  Judd  Stewart. 


To  Governor  John  A.  Andrew     243 

To  MRS.  ESTHER  STOCKTON  x 

><? 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  July  8,  1864. 

MRS.  ESTHER  STOCKTON. 

Madam:  Learning  that  you  who  have  passed  the 
eighty-fourth  year  of  life,  have  given  to  the  soldiers, 
some  three  hundred  pairs  of  stockings,  knitted  by 
yourself,  I  wish  to  offer  you  my  thanks.  Will  you 
also  convey  my  thanks  to  those  young  ladies  who 
have  done  so  much  in  feeding  our  soldiers  while 
passing  through  your  city? 

Yours  truly,          A.  LINCOLN 

To  GOVERNOR  JOHN  A.  ANDREW 

If  the  Governor  of  Massachusetts  understands 
the  case  and  wishes  to  give  Capt  Brooks  another 
commission  the  disability  is  hereby  removed  en 
abling  him  to  do  so. 

A.  LINCOLN 

JULY  1 8,  1864. 

PASS  FOR  COLONEL  EATON 

Allow  the  bearer,  Col.  Eaton,  to  pass  to  and 
from  Gen  Grant  at  City  Point,  Va. 

A.  LINCOLN 

AUGUST  12,  1864 

1  Original  owned  by  granddaughter  of  Mrs.  Stockton,  Pitts 
burgh,  Pa. 


244     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

To  GENERAL  SAMUEL  R.  CURTIS 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON  September  i,  1864 

MAJOR  GENERAL  CURTIS 

The  bearer  of  this,  Mr.  George  K.  Otis,  General 
Superintendent  of  the  Overland  Mail  Line,  has 
called  on  me  seeking  protection  for  the  line  against 
the  Indians.  I  can  think  of  nothing  better  than  to 
ask  you  to  have  a  full  conference  with  him  on  the 
subject,  and  to  do  the  very  best  you  can  for  this 
important  interest,  consistently  with  the  other 
interests  in  your  charge. 

Yours  truly 

A  LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION 
WASHINGTON,  Sept.  9,  1864. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

My  dear  Sir:  I  am  appealed  to  by  the  proprietors 
of  papers  here,  because  they  have  to  get  tele 
graphed  back  to  them  from  New  York,  matter 
which  goes  from  the  War  Department. 

Might  not  this  be  avoided  without  harm  or  in 
convenience  to  any? 

Yours  truly, 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  Secretary  Fessenden         245 


To  SECRETARY  FESSENDEN 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Oct.  3,  1864. 

HON.  SECRETARY  OF  THE  TREASURY: 

My  dear  SzV,  —  Mr  Hallowell  who  brings  this, 
has  a  very  meritorious  Cotton  case  and  I  hope  it 
may  be  found  that  the  same  sort  of  thing  can  be 
done  for  him  that  was  for  Judge  Johnson. 
Yours  truly 

A.  LINCOLN 


PARDON  AND  PASS  FOR  ROSWELL  MC!NTYRE  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Oct.  4,  1864. 

Upon  condition  that  Roswell  Mclntyre  of  Co. 
E.  6th  Regiment  of  New  York  Cavalry  returns  to 
his  Regiment  and  faithfully  serves  out  his  term, 
making  up  for  lost  time,  or  until  otherwise  lawfully 
discharged,  he  is  fully  pardoned  for  any  supposed 
desertion  heretofore  committed;  and  this  paper  is 
his  pass  to  go  to  his  regiment. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

1  Taken  from  the  body  of  R.  Mclntyre  at  the  battle  of  Five 
Forks,  Va.,  1865. 


246     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
To  GENERAL  HORATIO  G.  WRIGHT 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Oct  17,  1864. 

S.  S.  Bradford,  whose  residence  is  in  Culpeper 
Co.,  Va.,  and  who  is  a  brother-in-law  of  Gen.  H.  G. 
Wright  is  now  on  parole  not  to  go  south  of  Phila 
delphia.  If  Gen.  Wright  will  request  it  in  writing 
on  this  sheet,  I  will  allow  Mr.  Bradford  to  go  home 
to  Culpeper.1 

A.  LINCOLN. 

ENDORSEMENT 
• 
Let  this  appointment  be  made  if  there  is  a 

vacancy. 

A.  LINCOLN 

Nov  7,  1864. 

DISPATCH  TO  A.  G.  HENRY  2 

WASHINGTON,  Nov.  9,  1864 

To  A.  G.  HENRY,  SURVEYOR-GENERAL, 

Olympia,  Washington  Territory. 
With  returns,  and  states  of  which  we  are  confi 
dent,  the  re-election  of  the  President  is  considered 

1  See  pass  for  Mr.  Bradford  on  page  250. 

2  This  dispatch  was  dictated  by  Mr.  Lincoln  to  Noah  Brooks, 
whom  he  asked  to  sign  it  for  obvious  reasons,  but  he  had  it  sent 
from  the  War  Department.  The  text,  without  the  address,  was 
printed  in  Mr.  Brooks's  Washington  in  Lincoln's   Time,  New 
York,  1895. 


To  General  Hovey  247 

certain,  while  it  is  not  certain  that  McClellan  has 
carried  any  state,  though  the  chances  are  that  he 
has  carried  New  Jersey  and  Kentucky. 

To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

HON.  SEC.  OF  WAR, 

Please  see  Mr  Gear  on  this  question  of  furnish 
ing  some  small  arm  ammunition  to  loyal  people  in 
Northern  Alabama. 

Nov.  16, 1864.  A-  LINCOLN 

ENDORSEMENT  ON  LETTER  OF  A.  JOHNSON  TO 

SECRETARY  OF  WAR  IN  FAVOR  OF 

JAMES  H.  WOODWARD 

If  another  Commissary  is  needed,  let  this  gen 
tleman  be  appointed. 
Nov.  21, 1864.  A.  LINCOLN. 

To  GENERAL  HOVEY  l 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  Nov.  29,  1864. 

MAJOR  GENERAL  HOVEY,  or 

whoever  may  have  charge 

at  the  proper  time: 

Whenever  John  B.  Castleman  shall  be  tried, 
if  convicted  and  sentenced,  suspend  execution 

1  Copied  from  a  facsimile  printed  in  the  Louisville  Post  in 
connection  with  the  centennial  ceremonies  at  Lincoln's  birth- 


248     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

until  further  orders  from  me  and  send  me  the 
record. 

A.  LINCOLN. 


AN  INTERVIEW  WITH  Two  LADIES  1 

On  Thursday  of  last  week  two  ladies  from  Ten 
nessee  came  before  the  President  asking  the  re 
lease  of  their  husbands  held  as  prisoners  of  war  at 
Johnson's  Island.  They  were  put  off  until  Friday 
when  they  came  again;  and  were  again  put  off  until 
Saturday.  At  each  of  the  interviews  one  of  the 
ladies  urged  that  her  husband  was  a  religious  man. 
On  Saturday  the  President  ordered  the  release  of 
the  prisoners,  and  then  said  to  the  lady,  "You  say 
your  husband  is  a  religious  man;  tell  him  when  you 

place,  Sept.  4,  1916.  The  circumstances  as  given  in  the  Post  are 
as  follows:  Castleman  was  a  Confederate  caught  within  the 
Union  lines  and  was  to  be  tried  as  a  spy.  His  sister,  Virginia 
Castleman,  wife  of  Judge  Samuel  M.  Breckinridge,  interceded  in 
his  behalf.  The  military  court  was  convened  from  time  to  time 
and  as  often  postponed,  until  finally  the  War  came  to  an  end. 
Castleman  was  banished  from  the  United  States  for  eighteen 
months,  and  never  knew  of  this  order  till  fifteen  years  afterwards, 
when  Judge  Breckenridge  gave  it  to  him.  President  Lincoln  in 
handing  the  order  to  Judge  Breckenridge  said,  "Sam,  this  is  for 
you  and  Virginia,  entrusted  in  confidence,  with  the  condition 
that  its  existence  shall  not  be  known  unless  the  emergency  arises 
for  which  this  letter  provides." 

1  This  was  written  by  President  Lincoln  in  November,  1864, 
for  Noah  Brooks,  the  newspaper  correspondent.  Mr.  Lincoln 
entitled  the  article  "The  President's  last,  shortest,  and  best 
speech."  The  copy  was  made  from  a  facsimile  of  Lincoln's 
handwriting. 


To  Secretary  Fessenden         249 

meet  him,  that  I  say  I  am  not  much  of  a  judge  of 
religion;  but  that,  in  my  opinion,  the  religion  that 
sets  men  to  rebel  and  fight  against  their  govern 
ment,  because,  as  they  think,  that  government 
does  not  sufficiently  help  some  men  to  eat  their 
bread  in  the  sweat  of  other  men's  faces,  is  not  the 
sort  of  religion  upon  which  people  can  get  to 
heaven/' 

A.  LINCOLN. 


NOTE  OF  COMMENDATION 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION. 
Dec.  i,  1864. 

I  do  not  personally  know  these  ladies,  but  very 
cheerfully  endorse  Judge  Wylie  and  Mayor  Wai- 
lack,  and  shall  be  glad  if  the  ladies  can  find  em 
ployment  in  any  Department  or  Bureau. 

A.  LINCOLN. 


To  SECRETARY  FESSENDEN  l 

Will  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  please  see  and 
hear  Mr.  Gumpert,  so  well  vouched  within  ? 

A.  LINCOLN 

DEC.  15,  1864. 

1  Endorsement  on  a  recommendation  of  G.  Gumpert,  applying 
for  appointment  in  the  Treasury  Department. 


2$o     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

PASS  FOR  S.  S.  BRADFORD  1 

Allow  the  bearer,  S.  S.  Bradford,  to  pass  by  any 
route  to  his  home  in  Culpeper  Co.  Virginia  and 
there  to  remain  so  long  as  he  does  not  misbehave. 

A.  LINCOLN 
DEC  21,  1864. 


To  SECRETARY  FESSENDEN2 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  December  29th,  1864. 

My  dear  Sir:  The  President  of  the  United  States 
will  be  pleased  to  receive  the  Members  of  the  Cabi 
net  and  their  families  on  New  Years  Day  (Monday 
January  2,  1865)  at  twelve  o  Clock  M.  precisely. 
Your  ob't  serv't 

JNO.  G.  NICOLAY 

Priv.  Sec. 
HON  SECRETARY  OF  THE  TREASURY. 


MEMORANDUM  ON  AN  APPLICATION 

File  as  an  application  for  District  Attorney  in 
Georgia,  when  an  appointment  shall  be  made. 

A.  LINCOLN 
JAN  13,  1865 

1  See  note  to  Gen.  Horatio  G.  Wright,  on  page  246. 

2  Original  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Charles  W.  McLellan. 


To  the  Provost-Marshal-General    251 

To  SECRETARY  STANTON 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION. 

January  22,  1865. 

HON.  SEC  OF  WAR. 

The  Governor1  has  a  pretty  good  case.  I  feel 
sure  he  is  more  than  half  right.  We  don't  want  him 
to  feel  cross  and  we  in  the  wrong.  Try  and  fix  it 
with  him. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SECRETARY  SEWARD  2 

Will  the  Secretary  of  State  please  see  and  hear 
the  bearer  Mr.  B.  A.  Ulrich  and  oblige  him  if  he 
consistently  can.  He  is  a  young  man  raised  in  the 
place  of  my  residence  and  of  a  most  respectable 
family  as  he  also  is  himself. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

JANUARY  30,  1865 

To  THE  PROVOST-MARSHAL-GENERAL  8 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON  Feb'y-  6th,  1865. 

PROVOST  MARSHAL  GENERAL  — 

These  gentlemen  distinctly  say  to  me  this  morn 
ing  that  what  they  want  is  the  means  from  your 

1  Governor  R.  E.  Fen  ton  of  New  York. 

2  Endorsement  on  application  for  a  consulship. 

3  See  Works y  Nicolay  and  Hay,  Tandy's  ed.,  1905,  xi,  4,  for 


252     Letters  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

office  of  showing  their  people  that  the  quota  as 
signed  to  them  is  right. 

They  think  it  will  take  but  little  time  —  two 
hours,  they  say. 

Please  give  them  double  the  time,  and  every 
facility  you  can. 

Yours  truly. 

A.  LINCOLN 


To  SAMUEL  S.  Cox 

Will  see  Hon.  S.  S.  Cox  at  9$  A.M.  to  morrow,  if 
he  pleases  to  call. 

A.  LINCOLN 

MARCH  2,  1865. 


PASS  FOR  JUDGE  DIXON 

Whom  it  may  concern : 

Allow  the  bearer,  Judge  Dixon,  to  pass  to  the 
Officer  in  Command  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  to  whom 
the  Judge  is  commended,  as  worthy  of  reasonable 
facilities  for  passing  about  Kentucky  and  Ten 
nessee. 

A.  LINCOLN. 

MARCH  7,  1865. 

order  on  same  subject.    This  letter  was  printed  in  Writings, 
Lapsley  ed.,  vn,  294. 


To  General  Godfrey  Weitzel    253 

To  MRS.  AMANDA  H.  HALL  1 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 
WASHINGTON,  March  20,  1865. 

MRS.  AMANDA  H.  HALL 

Madam:  Induced  by  a  letter  of  yours  to  your 
brother,  and  shown  me  by  him,  I  send  you  what 
follows  below. 

Respectfully  A.  LINCOLN 

"Fondly  do  we  hope  —  fervently  do  we  pray  — 
that  this  mighty  scourge  of  war  may  speedily  pass 
away.  Yet,  if  God  wills  that  it  continue  until  all 
the  wealth  piled  by  the  bondman's  two  hundred 
and  fifty  years  of  unrequited  toil  shall  be  sunk,  and 
until  every  drop  of  blood  drawn  with  the  lash  shall 
be  paid  by  another  drawn  with  the  sword,  as  was 
said  three  thousand  years  ago,  so  still  it  must  be 
said,  'The  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and 
righteous  altogether.' " 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

To  GENERAL  GODFREY  WEITZEL 

U.S.  Military  Telegraph. 

By  telegraph  from  City  Point 

March  29,  1865 

To  GEN  WEITZEL 

What  if  anything,  have  you  observed,  on  your 
front  to-day? 

A.  LINCOLN 

1  Copied  from  a  facsimile. 


Index 


Abbott,  Joseph  C.,  letter  to,  153. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  funeral  ar 
rangements,  30,  31. 

Alabama,  ammunition  for  loyal 
people  in,  247. 

Aid  rich,  Cyrus,  218  note;  letter  to, 
218. 

Alexander,  Gen.,  50. 

Allard,  51. 

Allen,  C.  M.,  146;  letter  to,  145. 

Allen,  James  C.,  54 

Allen,  Col.  Julian,  185. 

Alshuler,  169. 

Ambos,  Charles,  letter  to,  HO. 

Anderson,  Charles  E.,  186. 

Andrew,  John  A.,  note  to,  243. 

Andrews,  E.  W.,  223  note. 

Andrews,  Rufus  F.,  191  note;  letter 
to,  191. 

Archer,  William  B.,  54. 

Archuletta,  Diego,  180. 

Arenz,  42. 

Arkansas,  orders  for  reconstruction 
in  1862,  217. 

Armstrong,  Duff,  79  note. 

Armstrong,  Hannah,  79  note;  let 
ter  to,  79. 

Arnold,  Isaac  N.,  224  note;  letter 
to,  224. 

Ashmun,  George,  151  and  note, 
152. 

Assistant  Surgeon-General,  note  to, 

212. 

Autograph  album,  239. 

Bacon,  Reuben,  206. 

Bagly,  94. 

Bailey,  C.,  letter  to,  8l. 

Baker,    Edward    D.,    son   of   Col. 

Baker,  208. 
Baker,  Col.  Edward  Dickinson,  7 

and  note,  14,  23,  208. 
Baker,  John,  64. 


Baker,  Stephen,  205  note;  endorse 
ment  on  letter  of,  205. 
Baker,  William  C.,  letter  to,  148. 
Baldwin,  Abraham,  164,  165. 
Bank  law,  73-75. 
Banks,   Gen.    Nathaniel    P.,    225; 

letter  to,  232. 
Barger,  Rev.  John  S.,  55. 
Barret,  O.  D.,  183. 
Barret,  T.  A.,  no. 
Barrett,  Joseph  H.,  his  Abraham 

Lincoln  and  his  Presidency,  118 

note;  note  to,  183. 
Bascom,  W.  J.,  116. 
Bates,  David  Homer,  his  Lincoln  in 

the  Telegraph  Office,  234  note. 
Bates,   Edward,   as   a  presidential 

candidate,  143,  144;  letters  and 

notes  to,  179,  232,  239. 
Beattie,  Miss,  239. 
Beers  &  Mansfield,  letter  to,  134. 
Bell,  Victor  B.,  193. 
Benjamin,  Park,  letter  to,  167. 
Benton,  Thomas  H.,  109. 
Berry,  A.,  222. 


Bile,  Earl,  179. 
Bissell,    William   H., 
note,  114. 


67,   92    and 


Blair,  Francis  P.,  93,  226. 

Blair,  Montgomery,  considered  for 

the  Cabinet,  173 ;  letters  and  notes 

to,  178,  181,  239. 
Bliss,  George,  and  others,  letter  to, 

159- 

Boal,  Dr.  Robert,  16  and  note. 

Bond,  L.  Montgomery,  letter  to, 
165. 

Boutwell,  George  S.,  218  note;  let 
ter  to,  218. 

Boys,  disobedient,  237. 

Brackett,  Joseph  W.,  letters  to,  75, 
81. 

Bradford,  S.  S.,  246;  pass  for,  250. 


256 


Index 


Breckinridge,  Samuel  M.,  248  note. 
Breckinridge,  Mrs.  Samuel  M.,  248 

note. 

Breese,  Sidney,  32  and  note. 
Brewer,  A.  L.,  letter  to,  62. 
Briggs,  Samuel,  letter  to,  79. 
Brooks,  Capt.,  243. 
Brooks,  Noah,  246  note,  248  note; 

his  Washington  in  Lincoln's  Time, 

246  note. 
Brown,  81. 
Brown,  Dr.  Charles  D.,  231  and 

note,  232. 
Brown,  Clara  and  Julia,  note  to, 

238.^ 

Browning,  M.  D.,  5. 
Browning,  Orville  H.,  4  note;  letters 

to,  22,  53,  85,  189,  205. 
Browning,    Mrs.    Orville    H.,    23; 

letter  to,  4. 

Bryant,  William  Cullen,  174. 
Buchanan,    James,    and    Douglas, 

82,  83;  Republicans  and,  87. 
Buckingham,  William  A.,  152  note; 

letter  to,  152. 
Bunn,  J.,  76. 
Burtwell,  Mr.,  199. 
Butler,  Gen.  Benjamin  F.,  21 1, 224- 

26. 

Butler,  William,  48,  49. 
Butterfield,  Mr.,  25. 
Button,  Isaac  S.,  12. 

Cameron,  Simon,  148,  153;  con 
sidered  for  Lincoln's  Cabinet, 
173,  174;  endorsement  by,  188; 
draft  of  a  letter  to,  177;  letters 
and  notes  to,  183,  185,  187,  193- 
96,  198;  endorsement  on  letter 
of,  189. 

Campbell,  auditor,  50. 

Carpenter,  Col.,  178. 

Carson,  John  M.,  letters  to,  141. 

Casey,  Gen.,  210. 

Casey,  Mr.,  156. 

Casey,  Joseph,  242  note;  letter  to, 
242. 

Castleman,  John  B.,  247,  248  note. 

Central  Railroad,  47. 

Central  Transcript,  letter  to  the 
editor,  113. 


Chaplains,  at  hospitals,  196;  Jew 
ish,  199. 

Chase,  Salmon  P.,  as  a  candidate 
before  the  Chicago  Convention, 
I38,  139;  slated  for  the  Treasury, 
174;  letters  to,  on  the  contest 
of  1858,  109;  on  Department 
matters,  179,  182,  185,  190,  212. 

Chester,  Anson  G.,  letters  to,  161. 

Chicago  Journal,  100. 

Chicago  Times,  105. 

Chickamauga,  Battle  of,  234  note. 

Chipper,  steamboat,  40,  41. 

Clapp,  Daniel,  219. 

Clay,  T.  H.,  195. 

Clayton,  John  M.,  letter  to,  39. 

Clemsin,  Calhoun,  234. 

Clemsin,  Mrs.  Thomas  G.,  234. 

Coffin,  Judge,  41. 

Conklin,  Cyrus,  75. 

Conkling,  Mr.,  70. 

Connecticut,  political  struggle  in 
March,  1860,  137  and  note. 

Constable,  67. 

Constitution,  the,  as  a  shibboleth, 
120,  121 ;  history  of,  124-29. 

Converse  &  Priest,  letter  to,  24. 

Conway,  Judge  M.  F.,  103. 

Cook,  Burton  C.,  91  and  note,  IOO. 

Cooper,  Gen.,  note  to,  204. 

Cooper  Institute  speech,  149-51. 

Corneau,  Stephen  A.,  57. 

Cornell,  Waite  &  Jameson,  letter 
to,  76. 

Corwin,  Thomas,  44  note,  172;  let 
ter  to,  44. 

Corwine,  Richard  M.,  138  note;  his 
commission  as  Judge-Advocate, 
200;  letters  to,  138,  146. 

Cox,  Samuel  S.,  note  to,  252. 

Crispin,  Capt.  Silas,  endorsement 
on  letter  of,  205. 

Crittenden,  John  J.,  120  note,  123, 
124,  128;  letter  to,  120. 

Cuba,  101. 

Curtin,  Andrew  G.,  note  to,  208. 

Curtis,  Gen.  Samuel  R.,  note  to, 
244. 

Dahlgren,  John  A.,  note  to,  184; 
endorsement  on  letter  of,  201. 


Index 


257 


Danites,  97  and  note,  144. 

Davidson,  Col.  W.  H.,  letter  to,  6. 

Davis,  David,  145,  146. 

Davis,  James  M.,  67. 

Davis,  Levi,  letters  to,  2. 

Davis,  O.  L.,  50  note;  letter  to,  50. 

Davis,  Thomas,  37. 

Davis,  Walter,  letter  to,  36. 

Dawson,  John,  4  and  note. 

Delahay,  Mark  W.,  15  and  note, 
136,  140;  letters  to,  99,  103,  116, 
117,  134,  141,  176. 

Delaware  Indians,  189,  190. 

Delevan,  organization  of  the  town, 
79,  80. 

Dickinson,  E.  N.,  58. 

Diller,  Capt.,  210. 

District  attorney,  endorsement  on 
application  for,  250. 

Dixon,  Judge,  pass  for,  252. 

Dixon,  William,  206. 

Dodd,  William,  46. 

Dodson,  Dr.,  157. 

Dole,  William  P.,  180. 

Doney,  Thomas,  letter  to,  157. 

Doolittle,  James  R.,  note  to,  220. 

Dorman  vs.  Lane,  9,  13,  14,  17,  20, 
21,  27. 

Doty,  E.  S.,  228. 

Douglas,  Stephen  A.,  133, 136,  143- 
45;  and  Buchanan,  82,  83;  the 
New  York  Tribune  on,  83,  84;  in 
the  campaign  of  1858,  87,  89,  90, 
96, 109;  his  position  in  Dec.,  1858, 
97>  98;  proposed  publication  of 
debate  with  Lincoln,  105-07. 

Dresser,  Mr.,  letter  to,  3. 

Dubois,  Jesse  K.,  73  note,  114, 142, 
145,  146;  letter  to,  73. 

Dugger,  Miss,  239. 

Dummer,  Henry  E.,  II  and  note, 
42;  Lincoln's  opinion  of,  as  a 
lawyer,  62;  letters  to,  II,  14,  48, 

S5>  56,  9°,  91,  I31- 

Dungy,  William,  letter  to,  118. 

Eaton,  Col.,  193;  pass  for,  243. 

Eddy,  Mr.,  13,  14. 

Edwards,    Ninian   W.,    1 86    note; 

letter  to,  186. 
Ellsworth,  Lieut.  E.  E.,  177,  178. 


Embalmer,  231  and  note,  232. 
Emmons,  S.,  letter  to,  41. 
Endorsements  without  name,  194, 

214,  246. 

Ewing,  R.  M.,  letter  to,  70. 
Ewing,  Thomas,  letter  to,  39. 

Fawcett,  George  E.,  note  to,  220. 
Fell,  J.  W.,  108,  123  and  note. 
Fenn,  Ira  I.,  letter  to,  I. 
Fenton,  Gov.  Reuben  E.,  251  and 

note. 
Fessenden,  William  P.,   notes  to, 

245,  249,  250. 
Field,  14. 

Fillmore,  Millard,  153. 
Fischel,  Rev.  Dr.  A.,  letter  to,  199. 
Flagg  &  Savage,  66. 
Floyd,  George  P.,  66  note;  letter  to, 

66. 
Fogg,  George  G.,  157  note;  letters 

to,  157,  1 60,  167. 
Foot,  Solomon,  209  note:  letter  to, 

209. 

Forbes  &  Hill  case,  8. 
Forney,  John  W.,  120  and  note. 
Fort  McHenry,  Commandant  at, 

order  to,  222. 
Foster,  195. 
Fox,  Capt.  Gustavus  V.,  241  note; 

note  to,  241. 
Francis,  Simeon,  44. 
Freeland,  James,  238. 
Fremont,  Gen.  John  C.,  200,  224- 

26. 

French,  Miss,  82. 
French,  Fred  W.,  letter  to,  169. 
Fugitive  slave  law,  171. 
Fullininder,  I.  or  J.  H.,  letter  to, 

132. 

Gadsden,  H.  C.,  &  Co.,  131. 

Gallaher,  John  S.,  182. 

Gamble,    Hamilton    Rowan,    note 

to,  216. 

Gannell,  Henry  D.,  206. 
Garrett,  George  W.,  206. 
Gatewood  vs.  Wood  &  Wood,  13, 14. 
Gear,  Mr.,  247. 
German  Brigade,  192. 
Giddings,  Joshua  R.,  letter  to,  155. 


258 


Index 


Gilmer,  John  A.,  172  and  note. 

Gilmore,  Joseph  A.,  letter  to,  229. 

Goggin,  William  L.,  III. 

Goodman,  Christian,  63,  64. 

Goodwin,  Thomas  F.,  204. 

Gorden,  John,  163. 

Grable  vs.  Margrave,  7,  8. 

Graham,  Menton,  26  note. 

Grant,  Gen.  Ulysses  S.,  225,  226. 

Gray,  Lieut.,  224. 

Gray,  Mrs.  Franklin  C.,  82,  83. 

Greeley,  Horace,  165. 

Green,  Mrs.  M.  J.,  letter  to,  164. 

Greene,  Gilbert  J.,  45  note. 

Grier,  Justice  Robert  C.,  128. 

Grigsby,  Aaron,  163  note. 

Grigsby,  Charles,  163. 

Grigsby,  Nathaniel,  163  note;  letter 

to,  163. 
Grimsley,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  J.,  letter 

to,  230. 

Griswold,  of  Terre  Haute,  145. 
Grubb,  George  G.,  48. 
Gumpert,  Mrs.,  249  and  note. 

Haines  and  Haines  vs.  Talcott  and 

others,  101,  102,  105. 
Hains,  54. 
Hall,  Squire,  163. 
Hall,  Mrs.  Amanda  H.,  letter  to, 

253. 

Hall,  O.  P.,  letter  to,  132. 

Halleck,  Fitz  Greene,  poems  of, 
147. 

Halleck,  Gen.  Henry  W.,  demand 
for  removal  of,  224-26;  note  to, 
210. 

Hallo  well,  Mr.,  245. 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  126. 

Hamilton,  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson, 
233  and  note. 

Hamlin,  Hannibal,  148,  151,  152, 
170,  172. 

Hammond,  Surgeon-General  Wil 
liam  A.,  note  to,  223. 

Hardin,  John  J.,  4  and  note,  15,  16, 
19. 

Harding,  Jacob,  letters  to,  52,  57. 

Harlan,  James,  209  note;  endorse 
ment  on  letter  of,  209. 

Harriet  Lane,  revenue  cutter,  177. 


Harris,  Major  Thomas  L.,  36  and 

note,  63,  64. 

Harrison,  P.  Quinn,  letter  to,  118. 
Harrison  Literary  Institute,  141. 
Hawry,  Jonathan  S.,  189. 
Hay,  John,  letters  signed  by,  197, 

227;  letter  in  handwriting  of,  229. 
Hayner,  Major,  205. 
Hays,  L.  M.,  letters  to,  46,  48. 
Hecker,  Mr.,  89. 

Henry,  Dr.  A.  G.,  2  and  note;  dis 
patch  to,  246. 
Herndon,  William  H.,  6,  44,  77; 

letter  signed  by,  69. 
Hickox,  64. 

Hitchcock,  Peter,  letter  to,  40. 
Hoffmann,  Francis  A.,  181. 
Hoffmann,  Julius,  181. 
Hogan,  letter  to,  33. 
Holloway,  David  P.,  note  to,  210. 
Holt,  Col.  Joseph,  note  to,  240. 
Hooker,  Gen.  Joseph,  222,  225. 
Horton,  Valentine    B.,  note,  206; 

endorsement  on  letter  of,  207. 
Hough  ton,  Joel,  180. 
Hovey,  Gen.  Alvin  P.,  226;  reprieve 

addressed  to,  247. 
Hunter,  Gen.  David,  225;  note  to, 

227. 
Hunter,  Capt.  R.  F.,  207. 

Illinois,  constitutional  convention, 

22,  23. 

Illinois  Journal,  44. 
Indians,  189,  190,  244. 
Irwin,  D.  M.,  letter  to,  44. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  40. 

James,  B.  F.,  letters  to,  16,  18. 

Jameson,  Lieut.  James  B.,  242 
note;  endorsement  on  letter  of, 
242. 

Jayne,  William,  letter  signed  by, 
69. 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  and  Rev.  James 
Lemen,  71;  and  the  Constitu 
tion,  125,  126;  and  the  Ordi 
nance  of  1784,  1787,  128;  forged 
statement  about,  161,  162. 

Jewett,  130. 

Johns,  E.  G.,  24. 


Index 


259 


Johnson,  Judge,  245. 

Johnson,  Mr.,  199. 

Johnson,  A.,  endorsement  on  letter 

of,  247. 

Johnson,  Reverdy,  58  note. 
Johnston,  John  D.,  163. 
Jonas,   Abraham,    130  note,   241; 

letter  to,  130. 
onas,  Charles  H.,  241. 
ones,  176. 

ones,  Fernando,  letter  to,  123. 
udd,   Norman  B.,  93   note,   100, 

1 08,  122;  letter  to,  93. 
Judge-Advocate,  letter  to,  199. 

Kaine,  John  Langdon,  his  article 
"  Lincoln  as  a  Boy  knew  Him," 
212  note. 

Kansas,  constitution,  82,  83;  ad 
mission  to  the  Union,  134,  135; 
Lincoln  in,  135. 

Keeling,  Haden,  letter  to,  103. 

King,  Benedict  A.,  240. 

King,  F.  T.,  63. 

Kinzie,  Capt.,  227. 

Know  Nothing  party,  59,  60. 

Knox,  James,  54. 

Koerner,  Gustave,  65  note,  227 
note;  letters  to,  65,  77,  80,  89,  92, 
107,  129,  192,  227. 

Ladies,  an  interview  with  two,  248. 

Lambert,  William  H.,  66  note. 

Lamon,  Ward  H.,  his  Recollections 
of  Abraham  Lincoln,  188  note; 
letters  to,  137,  188;  note  recom 
mending,  208. 

Land  officers,  claim  of,  218,  219. 

Lander,  Col.,  182  and  note. 

Lands,  school,  29,  31-33. 

Lane,  Gen.  James  H.,  116,  117,  134, 
135,  187,  188. 

Lanman,  Charles,  letter  to,  154. 

Lecompton  Constitution,   the,  82, 

S3- 

Lecture  on  Inventions,  104,  141. 
Lee,  Henry,  206. 
Lemen,  Rev.  James,  Jr.,  letter  to, 

71. 

Lemen,  Rev.  James,  Sr.,  71-73. 
Letters  and  notes  without  address, 


193,  195,  201,  206,  236,  237,  241, 
249.  See  also  Endorsements. 

Lewis,  196. 

Lewis,  George  W.,  letter  to,  155. 

Lewis,  Thomas,  63. 

Liebman,  Henry,  letter  to,  199. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  postmaster,  i; 
marriage,  9;  running  for  Con 
gress,  9,  10,  14-16,  18-20;  start 
ing  for  Washington,  24;  in  Con 
gress,  26-39;  attends  Philadel 
phia  convention  of  1848,  31;  can 
didate  for  Commissionership  of 
the  General  Land  Office,  39; 
candidate  for  the  United  States 
Senate,  52,  53;  on  reading  law, 
61,  62;  in  the  1856  political  cam 
paign,  66-71;  in  the  Senatorial 
campaign  of  1858,  87-96,  109; 
urged  to  run  for  the  Presidency, 
104  and  note,  123  note;  on  the  use 
of  money  in  political  contests, 
135;  on  the  candidates  before 
the  Chicago  Convention  of  1860, 
138-40,  142-44;  his  chances  in 
the  Convention,  146;  his  nomi 
nation  for  the  Presidency,  147; 
in  the  campaign  of  1860,  147-67; 
his  Cooper  Institute  speech,  149- 
51;  election  as  President,  167; 
intentions  in  regard  to  interfer 
ence  with  the  States,  168,  169; 
no  compromise  on  the  extension 
of  slavery,  171;  for  an  honest  in- 
forcement  of  the  fugitive  slave 
law,  171;  his  first  inaugural, 
175,  176;  his  first  administration, 
176-252;  on  his  appointments, 
214-16;  on  reconstruction  in  Ar 
kansas,  217;  reelection,  246;  in 
terviews  with  two  ladies  from 
Tennessee,  248  and  note;  his  sec 
ond  administration,  252,  253. 

Lincoln,    Abraham,    localities    of 

residence  or  visit: 
Army  of  the  Potomac  Headquar 
ters,  223. 
Ashville,  111.,  93. 
Beardstown,  111.,  48,  90,  91. 
Blandonville,  111.,  95. 
Bloomington,  111.,  46,  47,  60,  108. 


260 


Index 


Carlinville,  111.,  51,  65. 

Charleston,  111.,  69. 

Chicago,  58,  61,  82,  89,  90,  101, 
106,  137,  140,  141,  169. 

Cincinnati,  40,  60. 

Clinton,  111.,  52. 

Columbus,  O.,  41. 

Connecticut,  137. 

Council  Bluffs,  99. 

Danville,  111.,  57. 

Galesburg,  111.,  68. 

Grandview,  111.,  69. 

Jacksonville,  111.,  51. 

Kansas,  135. 

Lincoln,  111.,  105. 

Monticello,  111.,  91. 

Mount  Pulaski,  111.,  46. 

Naples,  111.,  51,  94. 

New  England,  141. 

New  Salem,  111.,  I,  62. 

New  York,  149. 

Paris,  111.,  69. 

Quincy,  111.,  51. 

Rockford,  111.,  58. 

St.  Louis,  37. 

Shelbyville,  111.,  69. 

Springfield,  111.,  1-3,  5-25,  39, 
41-45,  48-51,  53-56,  58-81, 
83-92,  95-100,  103,  104,  106- 
30,  132-36,  138-75- 

Vermillion,  111.,  7. 

Washington,    D.C.,    24,    26-39, 

176-253. 
Lincoln,    Abraham,    Reminiscences 

of,  by  Distinguished  Men  of  his 

Time,  222  note. 
Lincoln,  Abraham:  Tributes  from  his 

Associates,  194  note. 
Lincoln,  Mrs.  Abraham,  note  to, 

213. 

Lincoln,  Thomas,  158. 
Littlefield,  John  H.,  170  note;  letter 

to,  170. 

Lockwood,  Gen.  Henry  H.,  231. 
Logan,  Gen.  John  A.,  226. 
Logan,  Lewis,  40,  41. 
Logan,  Stephen  T.,  8  and  note,  13, 

20,  22,  25,  27,  35,  36,  45,  80,  219; 

candidate    for    the    Illinois    Su 
preme  Court,  56,  57. 
Long,  Col.,  226. 


Louisville  Journal,  175  note. 
Louisville  Post,  247  note. 
Lovejoy,  Elijah  P.,  71-73. 
Lovejoy,  Owen,  91;  letter  to,  59. 
Luna,  Ramon,  180. 
Lundy,   Dr.   B.   Clarke,  68  note; 

letters  to,  68,  78,  96. 
Lusby,  James  H.,  206. 

McAtee,  64. 

McCallen,  Andrew,  27  note;  letters 

to,  27,  45,  84. 
McClellan,  Gen.  George  B.,  216, 

247;  notes  to,  197,  203. 
McClernand,  John  Alexander,  29, 

184,  226. 
McClure,  Alexander  K.,  162  note; 

letter  to,  162. 

McCormick,  Cyrus  H.,  58  and  note. 
McElroth,  Mr.,  238. 
Mclntyre,    Roswell,    pardon    and 

pass  for,  245. 
McLean,  John,  67;  as  a  candidate 

before  the  Chicago  Convention, 

139  and  note,  140,  143. 
McNamar,  letter  to,  17. 
McNamar,  James,  18  note. 
McNamar,  John,  17  note,  18  note. 
McNeill,  John,  17  note. 
McPherson,  Mr.,  242. 
McPherson,  Gen.  James  B.,  226. 
McPherson,  William  M.,  217. 
Macomb  Eagle,  161. 
Macready,  Mrs.,  85. 
Magrath,  Rev.  F.  M.,  letter  to,  196. 
Manny,  John  H.,  58  and  note. 
Manny  &  Co.,  58;  letter  to,  6l. 
Markens,  Isaac,  his  Abraham  Lin 
coln  and  the  Jews,  199  note,  241 

note. 
Marshall,  John,  Territorial  Judge 

of  Illinois,  7  note,  13,  14,  49  note; 

letter  to,  49. 
Marshall,  Samuel  D.,  7  and  note; 

letters  to,  7,  8,  12,  14,  17,  20,  27. 
Marshall,  Thomas  A.,  241. 
Massett,  Stephen  C.,  note  to,  236. 
Masten,  Mr.,  212,  213. 
Maurinares,  Jose  Antonio,  180. 
Maxwell,  Robert  A.,  233  note;  un- 

sent  telegram  to,  233. 


Index 


261 


Mellen,  note  to,  235. 

Menard  Index,  70. 

Mershow,  Dr.,  46. 

Middleton,  Richard,  204;  endorse 
ment  on  application  of,  226. 

Miles,  G.  A.,  63  note;  letters  to,  63, 
65. 

Miller,  53,  54. 

Missouri  Democrat,  93. 

Moore,  54. 

Moore  vs.  Brown  et  at,  22. 

Moore  vs.  Latourette,  22. 

Morey,  152. 

Morgan,  Richard  P.,  235. 

Morgan  Journal,  18,  19. 

Morris,  Gen.  W.  W.,  223  note. 

Morris  &  Brown,  letters  to,  24,  25. 

Morrison,  67. 

Morss,  James,  191. 

Moseley,  Robert,  letters  to,  88. 

Moses,  John,  letter  to,  95. 

Mott,  Gordon  N.,  223  and  note. 

Muller,  Mr.,  205. 

Muller,  James  N.,  185  and  note. 

Munsey's  Magazine,  183  note. 

Murtagh,  W.  J.,  206. 

Musten,  Thomas,  176. 

New  Hampshire,  draft  in,  228. 
New  York  Herald,  157-59. 
New  York  Staats-Zeitung,  221  note. 
New  York  Tribune,  70,  165. 
Nicolay,  Helen,  her  Personal  Traits 

of  Abraham  Lincoln,  178  note. 
Nicolay,  John  G.,  invitation  signed 

by,  250. 

Norton,  Jesse  O.,  54. 
Notes  without  address.  See  Letters. 
Nott,  Charles  C.,   149  and  note; 

letters  to,  149,  164. 

Ohio^Sc  Mississippi  Railroad  Com 
pany,  77. 

Oldys,  Henry,  in  note. 
Olney,  Mr.,  84,  85. 
Otis,  George  K.,  244. 
Overland  Mail  Line,  244. 

Pacific  Railroad,  letter  to  officers 

of,  235. 
Page  and  Bacon,  77. 


Paine,  Gen.  Eleazar  A.,  95  and  note; 
letter  to,  95. 

Palmer,  John  M.,  68  note,  100,  119; 
letter  to,  68. 

Pawnee,  U.S.S.,  177. 

Pekin,  convention,  19. 

Pendleton,  Dr.  Boyd,  196. 

Perry,  J.  A.,  212. 

Phelps,  Gen.  John  Smith,  letter  to, 
217. 

Pickerel,  Jesse  A.,  letter  to,  1 19. 

Pickett,  Thomas  J.,  104  note;  letter 
to,  104. 

Pocahontas,  U.S.S.,  177. 

Pomeroy,  George  L.,  198. 

Potter,  Mr.,  220. 

Powers,  D.  J.,  letter  to,  115. 

Prairie  Beacon,  89. 

Pratt,  Mrs.  C.  W.,  letter  to,  175. 

Prentice,  George  D.,  175  note;  let 
ter  to,  175. 

Press- Tribune,  105,  107. 

Provost-Marshal-General,  note  to, 
251. 

Putnam,  148,  156. 

Quincy  Whig,  60. 

Ramsey,  Col.,  note  to,  205. 

Ratcliffe,  237. 

Read,  Judge,  153  and  note. 

Reavis,  Isham,  letter  to,  61. 

Reeder,  Andrew  H.,  153. 

Register,  93. 

Rice,  Allen  Thorndike,  his  Remi 
niscences  of  Abraham  Lincoln  by 
Distinguished  Men  of  his  Time, 
222  note. 

Richardson,  O.  H.  Perry,  180. 

Richmond,  William  W.,  194. 

Ripley,  Gen.  James  W.,  note  to,  186. 

Rosecrans,  Gen.  William  S.,  225. 

Ross,  William  A.,  letter  to,  105. 

Rousseau,  Gen.  Lovell  H.,  186. 

Russell,  John  L.,  180. 

Rutherford,  Mr.,  193. 

Rutledge,  Anne,  17  note. 

Sandford,  Sylvanus,  57. 
Sanford,  Porter  &  Striker,  55  and 
note. 


262 


Index 


Sargent,  Nathan,  III  and  note; 
letter  to,  in. 

Sawyer,  Mr.,  241. 

Schell,  Mr.,  199. 

Schenck,  Gen.  Robert  C.,  240. 

Schouler,  William,  34  and  note; 
letters  to,  34,  35. 

Schurz,  Gen.  Carl,  221;  letter  to, 
213. 

Schurz,  Mrs.  Carl,  213. 

Scott,  John  S.,  178,  179. 

Scott,  Thomas  A.,  note  to,  191. 

Scott,  Gen.  Winfield,  124,  182; 
note  to,  192. 

Scripps,  John  L.,  86  and  note,  95; 
letter  to,  86. 

Scroggs,  Gen.,  191. 

Sears,  H.,  3. 

Secretary  of  State,  letter  to,  39. 
See  also  Seward. 

Secretary  of  the  Interior,  letter  to, 
39.  See  also  Smith  and  Usher. 

Segar,  Joseph  E.,  218  and  note. 

Servant,  Col.,  7. 

Seward,  William  H.,  148,  172;  as 
a  candidate  for  the  Republican 
nomination  to  the  Presidency, 
I38>  I39>  I42~445  Lincoln's  in 
tention  to  offer  him  a  cabinet 
position,  170,  174;  endorsement 
on  letter  of,  182;  notes  to,  204, 
230,  251. 

Sexton,  Mr.,  85. 

Shaffer,  John  W.,  21 1  note;  endorse 
ment  on  letter  of,  211. 

Sherman,  Gen.  William  T.,  226. 

Siam,  King  of,  letter  to,  201. 

Sigel,  Gen.  Franz,  224-26;  endorse 
ment  on  letter  of,  221;  letter  to, 
221. 

Simmons,  James  F.,  194,  207  note; 
letter  to,  207. 

Singleton,  67. 

Slavery,  "ultimate  extinction"  of, 
86,  87;  the  Republican  Party  and 
the  extension  of,  92;  views  of 
Alexander  H.  Stephens  on,  124, 
128;  Lincoln's  views  on,  128; 
"this  government  cannot  endure 
permanently  half  slave  and  half 
free,"  132,  133. 


Slicer,  Rev.  Henry,  letter  to,  30. 
Slocum,  Gen.  Henry  W.,  letter  to, 

241. 

Small,  Col.,  183. 
Smith,  Caleb  Blood,  35  and  note; 

letters  and  notes  to,  180,  195, 198, 

219. 

Snyder,  237. 

South  Carolina,  the  forts  in,  173. 
Speed,  Joshua  F.,  236  and  note. 
Spinner,  Francis  E.,  156  and  note; 

letter  to,  156. 
Sprague,  Dr.,  90. 
Sprague,  William,  211  note;  letter 

tO,  211. 

Stahl,  Gen.,  221,  222. 

Stanton,  Edwin  M.,  beginning  of 
Lincoln's  acquaintance  with,  58 
note;  letters  and  notes  to,  200, 
222,223,228,231,234,238,244, 
247,  251. 

Stapp,  Dr.,  3. 

States'  Rights,  124-29. 

Steele,  Gen.  Frederick,  226;  letter 
to,  217. 

Steele,  John  B.,  212  and  note. 

Stephens,  Alexander  H.,  letter  to, 
123. 

Stephens,  William  A.,  232. 

Stewart,  Judd,  Some  Lincoln  Cor 
respondence  from  the  Collection 
of,  120  note,  123  note. 

Stickney  vs.  Cassell,  12,  13. 

Stipp,  Dr.,  212. 

Stockton,  Mrs.  Esther,  letter  to,  243. 

Stoneman,  Gen.  George,  228  note; 
notes  to,  228,  235. 

Stuart,  John  T.,  6  and  note,  67; 
letter  to,  6. 

Summers,  Mr.,  3. 

Sweeney,  Mr.,  235. 

Swett,  Leonard,  55  and  note;  letters 
to,  55,  148,  156,  175. 

Taliaferro,  Jefferson,  5. 

Taylor,  Bayard,  letter  to,  237. 

Taylor,  Hawkins,  209  and  note. 

Taylor,  T.  P.,  46. 

Taylor,  Zachary,  and  appointments, 

39,  40. 
Tenley,  G.  W.,  46. 


Index 


263 


Tevis,  Joshua,  236. 
Thomas,  Gen.  George  H.,  234. 
Thomas,  Gen.  Lorenzo,  note  to,  184. 
Thomas,  Richard  S.,  9  and  note,  42; 
letters  to,  9,  10,  II,  26,  28,  29,  31, 

33,  42,  51- 

Thornton,  Anthony,  67. 

Thornton  et  al.,  25. 

Tilton,  J.  E.,  letter  to,  154. 

Toombs,  Robert,  124. 

Totten,  Gen.,  note  to,  223. 

Treasury  Department,  endorse 
ment  on  letter  to,  189. 

Trumbull,  Lyman,  54,  108,  135, 
142;  letters  to,  on  the  1856  cam 
paign,  66,  69;  on  the  Kansas 
Constitution,  Buchanan,  and 
Douglas,  82,  83 ;  on  Douglas  and 
the  New  York  Tribune,  83 ;  on  the 
senatorial  campaign  of  1858,  87; 
on  Douglas's  position  in  Dec., 
1858,  96;  on  the  political  outlook 
in  Jan.,  1859,  98;  on  their  per 
sonal  relations,  100;  on  Forney's 
candidacy,  119;  on  distribution 
of  documents,  122;  on  Delahay's 
senatorial  aspirations,  136;  urging 
him  to  speak  in  Connecticut,  137; 
on  the  political  outlook  in  April 
and  May,  1860,  140,  142,  144, 
147;  on  the  speech  of  acceptance, 
151;  on  the  campaign  of  1860, 
153;  on  offering  a  cabinet  place 
to  Seward,  170;  on  the  extension 
of  slavery,  171  (2);  on  a  mission 
of  Thurlow  Weed's,  172;  on  the 
South  Carolina  forts,  173;  on 
formation  of  the  Cabinet,  173; 
statement  written  by  Lincoln  for 
speech  by,  168. 

Tuck,  Mr.,  155. 

Turnham,  David,  166  note;  letter 
to,  1 66. 

Ulrich,  B.  A.,  251. 
Underbill,  Mr.,  5. 
Underwood,  Mr.,  96,  97. 
Underwood,  John  C.,  182  note. 
Union,  the,  to  be  kept,  121,  125-29; 

and  slavery,  132,  133. 
Usher,  John  P.,  145  and  note. 


Van  Santvoord,  Chaplain,  223. 
Vigal,  William  W.,  63. 
Virginia,  Eastern  Shore  counties  of, 
218. 

Wade,  Benjamin  F.,  148,  171. 
Walborn,  Cornelius,  181. 
Walker,  C.,  5. 
Walker's  Division,  236. 
Wallace,  Mr.,  letter  to,  45. 
Wallack,  Mayor,  249. 
Warner,  Jacob,  75. 
Washburne,  Elihu  B.,  54,  197. 
Watson,  Benjamin  F.,  194,  195. 
Watson,  P.  H.,  58  note,  61;  letters 

to,  58,  101,  105. 
Watt,  219. 
Webb,  7. 
Webb,  Bat,  6. 
Webb,  O.  B.,  4. 
Webber,  T.  R.,  letter  to,  47. 
Webster  and  Hickox,  64. 
Weed,  Thurlow,  148;  on  a  mission 

from  Lincoln,  172;  note  to,  236. 
Weirman,  Miss,  237. 
Weitzel,  Gen.    Godfrey,   note   to, 

253. 

Welles,  C.  R.,  letter  to,  37. 
Welles,  Gideon,  letters  to,  ordering 

an  expedition,  177;  on  department 

matters,  180,  181,  186,  222,  237. 
Wentworth,  Col.  John,  ioo  note. 
Wetherell,  Dr.,  210. 
White,  Horace,  his  Life  of  Lyman 

Trumbull,  116  note,  173  note. 
Whitney,  Henry  C.,   18   note,  91 

note;   his   Life   of  Lincoln,    109 

note;  his  Life  on  the  Circuit  with 

Lincoln,  169  note;  letters  to,  91, 

169. 

Wiley,  Mr.,  84. 
Williams,  Mr.,  51,  53,  60,  189. 
Wilson,  Mr.,  letter  to,  45. 
Wilson,   James   Grant,   letter   to, 

147. 

Winston,  Mrs.,  222. 
Wise,  William,  206. 
Wood,  John,  163. 
Woodward,  James  H.,  endorsement 

in  favor  of,  247. 
Woodworth,  James  H.,  54. 


264 


Index 


Wool,  Gen.  John  E.,  192. 
Worthington,  Col.,  note  to,  240. 
Wright,  Gen.  Horatio  G.,  note  to, 

246. 

Wright,  Joseph  A.,  206. 
Wylie,  Judge,  249. 
Wyman,  L.  B.,  letter  to,  197. 

Yates,  Richard,  51  and  note,  53, 


8i(?);  letter  to,  51;  letter  signed 

by,  69;  note  to,  224. 
Yates,  William,  175. 
Yeatman,  Mr.,  38. 
Young,  Richard  M.,  34  and  note/ 
Young  &  Brothers  case,  37. 
Young-Indian  Club,  124. 

Zinn,  Peter,  letter  to,  116. 


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